
STAKEHOLDERS MEETING ON STRENGTHENING THE LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE ELIMINATION OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN EKITI STATE
STATEMENT BY OLAWALE FAPOHUNDA, ATTORNEY GENERAL & COMMISSIONER FOR JUSTICE
Your Excellency, This meeting is convened in response to what has become a source of concern to us in the Ministry of Justice. The reported cases of sexual rape, violence rape and child defilement have now reached such frequency that we firmly believe there is an urgent need for joined up action between Government and non-Governmental Agencies to reverse this scourge.
It is our view that this is not simply a law and Justice Matter but one with state wide implications. How we treat our women and children and in deed the protections that we provide is an important indicator of our social-economic and political development.
On our part in the Ministry of Justice of Ekiti State, we are continuously reviewing our prosecution strategies. We recongnise our role in giving meaning to the Fayemi Administration’s Zero tolerance for all forms of violence against women and children.

The Director of Public Prosecution will discuss some of these measure in detail in the course of this meeting. In addition to legal interventions we have recently announced additional measures including pasting the photographs of convicted sex offenders in prominent places in their communities, issuing an advisory to the Traditional Rulers of the Sex Offender’s Community, showing photographs of Sex Offenders on Ekiti State Broadcasting Television.

Also in cases of child defilement, we will seek compulsory psychiatric tests for all persons who the DPP has issued ‘a case to answer’ legal advice. We realise that the weakness of our approach lies in our focus on the offender and less on the victim. This is why our present efforts now revolves around devising a victim centric approach. We are now educating ourselves on practical modalities for placing the victim at the centre of our interventions. Recently, we visited the Mirabel Centre in Lagos to having a first-hand appreciation of the sterling work they do in responding to the needs of victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence. We learnt a lot from their experience.

Your Excellency, My Lord, Ladies and Gentlemen, The purpose of this meeting is of two fold, the first is to explain legal strategies for dealing with Domestic Sexual Violence. Here we look forward to receiving ideas and proposal on how to achieve effective prosecution of offenders. Our second agenda is to discuss on modalities for establishing a one stop centre to cater for Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence.
We hope that at the end of this meeting we will have gone a long way in putting in place practical and implementable proposals that will affirm the Fayemi Administration’s Zero tolerance policy for all form of violence in society but specifically as it relates to women and children.
I wish us all fruitful deliberation.
Olawale Fapohunda, Esq.
Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice
April, 2019
