Adeleke establishes Committee on sexual violence against women

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun, has set up an action committee to combat sexual violence against women through the mobile courts.

This is contained in a statement by Malam Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson to the governor, on Friday in Osogbo.

The statement said the setting up of the committee was in line with the decisions reached between the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the state government to combat sexual violence through mobile courts and other measures.

According to the statement, the governor, during a visit to Minister of Women Affairs in Abuja, affirmed his commitment for immediate implementation of the resolution of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum for the establishment of mobile courts.

The statement said the court would be dedicated to addressing issues of sexual and gender-based violence, child abuse in the form of street begging and expedited trial of women and children held in correctional facilities.

It also said that the governor had also directed his Commissioner for Justice to prepare an executive order to free all unjustly incarcerated women in the state.

According to the governor, the Justice Ministry will compile a list of affected women across the state to be granted executive pardon in furtherance of protection of women rights.

“To give effect to the resolutions reached with the Federal Ministry in line with the position of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum position, the governor has put up an action committee comprising of the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon (Mrs) Ayobola Awolowo, the Commissioner for Federal Affairs, Hon (Mrs) Adenike Adeleke, the Attorney General to be represented by the governor’s Special Adviser on Legal Matters, Barrister Nurudeen Kareem Esq.

“Others include the Commissioner for Youth Development, Hon Moshood Olagunju and President of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Abisola Ariwodola.

“The committee is charged with putting to effect the communique of the joint meeting between the state Governor and the Federal Minister of Women Affairs”, the statement read.