LAGOS — Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and  Convener of the Save Nigeria Group, SNG, Pastor Tunde Bakare, yesterday, decried the increasing cases of rape in the country, saying it was high time urgent measures were taken to arrest the situation.

Former Education Minister, Prof. Femi Aborisade, however, asked the Federal Government to establish education bank similar to the Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF.

INT'L WOMEN'S DAY—Rally to mark International Women's Day yesterday in Lagos. Photo: NAN

They made the remarks while addressing hundreds of women, who marched from Allen Avenue, Ikeja to the Lagos House, Alausa, as part of activities to mark the International Women Day celebration, which also had in attendance, the Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Mr. Yinka Odumakin and his wife, Dr. Okei-Odumakin among others.

Meanwhile, National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Executive Secretary, Prof. Bem Angwe, at a separate event in Abuja, noted that women suffer from multiple forms of discrimination arising from complex interplay of factors at the family, community and social levels, adding that there was the need for a holistic approach to different social, economic and cultural contexts of discrimination against women.

Fashola, who was represented by his deputy, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said sequel to the zero tolerance of the state government to child abuse, the state received over 10 cases relating to child abuse daily.

The governor lamented that any child who suffered any forms of abuse, he or she cannot achieve his or her full potentials.
Fashola said: “Our next line of action is that we will be visiting schools and tertiary institutions in the state to further sensitise the pupils, scholars, teachers, and principals on what their rights and responsibilities are.

“We are doing this because we discovered that there is need for maximum protection and development for these children in the country, especially Lagos State. And that was why we had sent our rescue teams to the streets to sensitise residents and to also prevent cases of child abuse in the state.”

SNG to combat rape cases

Bakare said that it was unfortunate that the cases of child abuse are recorded in schools where it was expected to be the major advocate of child abuse in the country.

He said people had continued the ungodly act because none among those caught in the past had been punished as deterrent to others.

He threatened that SNG was ready to deploy all at its disposal to combat the high rate of rape cases and would ensure that rapists were purnished in accordance with the country’s law.

He called for stiffer sanctions against perpetrators of rape by reviewing the constitutional provisions on it.

Falana makes case for women inmates

Also, the needs for women in custody to have access to legal services have been stressed.
Speaking during a visit to the Kirikiri women prison in Lagos yesterday, Mrs Funmi Falana, a Lagos-based lawyer and National Coordinator of Women Empowerment and Legal Aid, WELA, said it was high time the authority took it as a duty in ensuring that indigent inmates have unfettered access to court as well as legal aid to assist that they were not denied justice.

Specifically, Falana who was arouse with sympathy about the stories of some inmates who informed her team that they have not been able to get their case prosecuted for over four years back, noted that the time was now for the authority to ensure that something was done in that area to reduce the congestion of prison as well as ensuring that justice was adequately dispense.

According to her, “we decided to visit the women prison in celebration of the International Women’s Day. Also, we see it as a duty to keep time with the inmates and rob mind with them in order to assist them in the area of providing them legal services where needed.”

She said that women deserve a special treatment in the handling of their cases. She also condemned the idea of arresting a house wife in lieu of her wanted husband, a case that was prominently disclose with the visiting team.