Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, says the state will establish family and Gender-Based-Violence courts in the state.
It will also establish a GBV desk at the State Ministry of Justice.
Ikpeazu disclosed this at the “End GBV Summit,” a workshop with the theme “Strengthening Evidence and Referral Pathways For Gender Based Violence Project in Abia State”. The project was driven by the wife of the governor, Nkechi Ikpeazu.
Governor Ikpeazu who was represented by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uche Ihediwa said that the GBV courts would be created as soon as the courts resume in the state. Ihediwa also added that some magistrate courts would be designated to handle GBV matters.
He however lamented that GBV matters are often dropped by the victim during the prosecution process. He stressed that everyone had a role to play in bringing suspects to justice.
“If we must deal with GBV once it occurs, we will pursue it to the end or it will continue”
He assured that the state government would ensure that trials on GBV do not last too long and would allocate “extensive budgetary provision for GBV,” until it would be institutionalised.
Earlier in her speech, the Chairperson, GBV State Action Committee, Nkechi Ikpeazu, had pleaded with the governor to introduce and implement Family Court and GBV Court Rules in the state.
According to her, “We shall also request that special courts be designated as GBV tribunals for quick dispensation of justice because one of the greatest barriers to reducing GBV is the slow hands of Lady Justice.
“We shall also demand that prosecutors everywhere should use the Violence Against Persons law to prosecute GBV cases, rather than any obsolete legislation.
“We shall further ask that upgraded facilities and equipment be given to the selected primary health care centres which have been designated as GBV case-friendly centres.
“Our intention going forward is to set up a sexual assault referral centre as soon as possible to help with medical care and evidence gathering, so that we can reduce the challenges the police investigators face while trying to build a water-tight case,” she said.
