…says ‘Edo no longer safe for child abusers’

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that proactive reforms and legislation have been implemented in Edo State to ensure that the girl-child is safe and protected in the State.

The governor said this in commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child, marked by the United Nations and its sister agencies.

According to him, “As we mark this day, it is pertinent to underscore the progress made in protecting the girl-child in Edo State and ensuring that relevant laws and policy measures are enacted to ensure that the State is safe for our children and other vulnerable persons.

“The theme for this year’s event, ‘Invest in Girls’ rights: Our leadership and wellbeing,’ is apt as the State has continued to invest in the rights of the girl-child, ensuring that all necessary support systems are available for them to reach their full potential.

“We have domesticated the Violence Against Persons Law; established the Gender-Based Violence Referral Centre at the Daisy Danjuma Centre in GRA, Benin City; established the Gender-Based Violence Management Committee and opened the State’s Sex Offenders Register, all in an effort to ensure that the girl-child is protected and safe.”

Obaseki further noted, “As part of the EdoBEST programme, we have also ensured that the girl-child is protected from abuse through a proactive reporting system. With this system, children who are exposed to abuse can find a safe space and report such instances to the right authorities.

“Several cases of abuse are at different stages of litigation in the law courts and we have a robust support system to protect our children against abusers.”

The governor noted that with the structures already in place in Edo State, sex offenders would have to find a new haven because all apparatus of the law would be deployed to ensure justice for any victim of abuse.