From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Edo State Gender Based Violence Management Committee, yesterday, said it has commenced modalities for the setting up of a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) and a Gender Based Violence Management Task Force across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state to tackle abuses of girl-child.
The Chairperson of the Committee and wife of Edo State Governor, Betsy Obaseki, gave the directive at the 4th Quarter meeting of the Committee, which was held at the Festival Hall of the Edo State Government House, in Benin City.
Mrs. Obaseki said the SARC Centre would be set up in the biggest Primary Healthcare (PHC) in each local government, taking advantage of “not just the physical space, but the staff to man them.”
The governor’s wife, who also tasked the committee to raise a task force in every local government, gave the criteria for individuals who would be suitable.
She said: “We are looking for reliable people, people who believe in the work, and who are upright, who will stand for justice and equity; not the ones who will beg for suspects.”
She also called for the harmonisation of the activities of civil society organisations in the state, for the purpose of collating verifiable data. She stressed that “all the CSOs, no matter how belligerent they are, must come under the regulating ministry’s framework, otherwise the ministry would blacklist them,” adding that the relevant federal ministries would be informed of this directive.
Members of the Edo State Gender Based Violence Management Committee, composed of officials of the Ministries of Justice, Education, Youth and Gender Issues; the Police, NSCDC, SUBEB, NGOs and the Sexual Assaults Referral Centre, all of whom presented their quarterly reports and recommendations.