Fashola vows to protect women against violence

By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has expressed the determination of his administration to take the lead in the fight against violence on women, rape on young girls and child trafficking, just as he commissioned a 176-bed facilities transit home for victims of domestic violence, child abuse and related acts.

Fashola who made the pledge yesterday while commissioning the project at Ayobo town in Ipaja-Ayobo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), said his government was ready to champion the fight against the scourge, while warning that nobody should underestimate the capability of the state government.

His words: “We are now prepared as a government to show our might and capability to take the lead on the war on wife battering, rape on innocent girl child and trafficking. Nobody should underestimate the capability of the state government to change what it does not want.

“In Lagos, we will not give up because we will roll up our sleeves and lead from the front fight on violence against women because there is no life without a woman,” he said.

Fashola explained that the building of the transit home was one of the steps taken by the state government to arrest the act of violence against women and child trafficking, just as he enumerated projects and programmes executed so far to better the lives of the female gender.

Earlier, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Joke Adefulire, had said violence on women and children was not acceptable in the state, adding that the refuge home will frontally challenge domestic abuses in Lagos until it reduces to the barest minimum.

Mrs. Adefulire said, “It is noteworthy that domestic violence has been on the increase in the state and traumatises the victims. Such violent act has led to increase in the number of area boys, girl’s prostitution and separation of marriages.”