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The wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, has urged students of tertiary institutions to do away with drugs and those things capable of triggering gender-based violence.
The governor’s wife said that efforts to eradicate GBV, which she described as a monster, should be relentless in the interest of society, saying, “GBV scuttles the socio-economic development of a nation.”
Oyebanji, who spoke on Thursday during her GBV sensitisation visit to Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science, and Technology, Ikere Ekiti, as part of activities for ‘16 Days of Activism against GBV’, stressed the need for collective actions in combating gender-related violence in society.
The First Lady, who hailed BOUESTI authorities for the prevailing zero-tolerance for GBV in the institution, said, “GBV is something to be condemned in society, especially in the academic environment.
“This institution has taken the challenge headlong. BOUESTI management has always been proactive in the handling of the menace and other condemnable anti-social vices.”
She solicited the cooperation of stakeholders in addressing the scourge as she cautioned the students, adding, “Do not engage in what can trigger anti-social behaviour and the need to do away with drugs. Again, you have to say something when they see something; speak out when you see something; do not keep quiet or silent. There is no excuse for any form of abuse.”
The governor’s wife, who said her mission on the campus and as well other sister universities in the state was to challenge the monster called GBV and ensure it is brought down to a minimum or eliminated in the society, added that the Ekiti State government demonstrated proactiveness when in 2023 it put in place initiatives aimed at tackling the challenge.
BOUESTI Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Adeoluwa, who hailed the First Lady for the advocacy visit, stated that her efforts in gender matters were not only impactful in Ekiti State but across the country.
Adeoluwa bemoaned the increasing GBV, which he hinged on drug use, saying, “These days, even teenagers have made people aware of different types of drugs.”
He said Oyebanji’s advocacy visit to the tertiary institutions was important and timely as it would largely address the rise of GBV, especially in the higher institutions, which his school has zero tolerance for.
The VC said that it behoved academic leadership to ensure peace in society by bringing to the fore measures that would prevent the emergence of issues or developments that were inimical to societal wellbeing.
Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dayo Apata (SAN), stressed that every hand must be on deck to stamp out all traces of GBV in university communities, adding that the awareness tour was planned to sensitise the populace on the existing law on the GBV.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Police, Ekiti State, Mr Adeniran Akinwale, reiterated the police commitment to uphold the law and ensure gender equality, adding that offenders would be prosecuted according to the law.
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