Executive Secretary National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu has said no fewer than 14 complaints were lodged before the special investigation panel on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Adamawa.
Ojukwu who disclosed the commencement of a two-day sitting of the panel in Yola noted that with the high turnout of people, he expects more petitions to follow suit.
He stated that, although the panel is victim-centered, the perpetrator will be given a fair hearing and will be met with no sanction if he is not found wanton.
“The panel is victim-centered, the victim is going to be allowed to speak out. The perpetrator is going to be given a fair hearing.
“At the end of the day, if there is any human rights violation there will be consequences. Consequences can be prosecuted in court, it can be an apology, the award of compensation, or damages but the point.
“Based on the preponderance of SGBV during the lockdown, NHRC decided to constitute the panel to attend to the various complaints by survivors of the crime.
“The commission is the first institution that has the temerity to embark in this exercise.
“You will recall that the issue of sexual and gender-based violence has been a trauma for the whole country and there was no solution, there was no accountability and there are stigmatization and discrimination.
“So the commission, based on the outcome of its research during the lockdown when cases of GVB exacerbate leading to a national uproar constituted the panel. The commission now decided to for the first time start an accountability process for the issue of SGBV and that is what we are doing now”, he said.
Ojukwu explained that the issue of GBV will become a thing of the past as nobody will go scot-free henceforth.
In his message, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri while appreciating the laudable efforts of the NHRC in championing the cause of humanity, pledged to continue to support the commission for the benefit of the common man.
Represented by his chief of staff, Prof. Maxwell Gidado (SAN), expressed the state government’s commitment towards enhancing human rights records in the state.
“The government has approved a 4,000 square meters land to the commission noting that C of O will be ready soon.
“People with such complaints to readily come out and air the grievances for them to get justice”, he said.
Various stakeholders including the Rule of Law and Anti-corruption, (ROLAC), Ministry of Justice, Chief Judge, FIDA, CAN, and Muslim Council all pledged their unflinching commitment towards helping NHRC in routing SGBV from the state.
Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.
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