By Friday Olokor
Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River has declared zero tolerance for all forms of sexual and gender-based violence in the state.
The governor said his administration was committed to ending all form of SGBV and implementing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Laws.
Ayade made the commitment in his forward contained in a document titled, “Multi-sectoral costed action plan for effective implementation of Cross River State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law (2023-2027).”
The document, which was obtained by journalists in Abuja on Friday, was presented to the governor by the leader of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, at the Government House, Calabar.
According to Ayade, the multi-sectoral costed action plan for effective implementation of VAPP in Cross River State was a significant process that underlined the commitment of his government towards total eradication of SGBV.
Ayade said the plan offered a multi-sectoral and standardised approach that could be applied at all levels, adding that the goals and activities of CAP were attainable.
He said, “It is designed to guide all sectors and CSOS/NGOs in a collaborative response to all forms of SGBV and the establishment of zero tolerance for all forms of violence in Cross River State.
“While the state government has demonstrated commitment to eradicating SGBV through the passage of relevant laws, translating the Cross-River State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law into implementable practical actions at sectoral levels in the state remains challenging, with a persistent gap between commitments, human resources, capacity gaps and financial support.
“These challenges provide a strategic opportunity to develop a Costed-Action Plan as a tool to guide strategic resource allocation for the implementation of Violence Against Persons Prohibition Laws.
Source: The Punch
