Ambode Urges Victims Of Sexual Assaults To speak Out

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

ICI-GWODEF Officials with some female students during 2016 UN-International Day of Girl-Child in Lagos

The wife of the Lagos State governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode has advised victims of sexual abuse or any forms of molestation to speak out as the government was ready and have made enabling laws to protect them in the State and Nigeria at large.

Mrs. Ambode gave the advice during the celebration of the United Nations’ International Day Of The Girl Child 2016 organized by a Non-Government Organization, International Charitable Initiative For Girl Child And Woman Development Foundation( ICI-GWODEF) in Lagos.

She also urged the girls to embrace education as it is the key to liberate them from any forms of social misbehavior that will enable them to be responsible people in the society.

Mrs. Ambode, who was represented at the occasion by Dr. Mrs. Ari Olowu, said that many girl child are suffering in silence and are afraid to speak out because of fear of uncertainty and they are frustrated.

The event which was marked at the Girls Correction Centre in Idi Araba, Lagos was attended by hundreds of girls students from various schools in the State. Also representatives of Federation of Women Lawyers known as FIDA, Legal Aids, teachers,  professionals and representatives from various departments in the  ministries of the State government attended.
Chief Magistrate, Mrs K.B Ayeye of the Lagos Family Court was the guest lecturer and she talked on the theme; “Adolescent Girls and Sustainable Development Goals” as declared by the UN for this year.
The president of ICI-GWODEF, Barrister Helen Ibeji urged the victims of mental and emotional assaults not to lose hope and get frustrated. She asked to keep such memory behind them and move on with their lives.
“Don’t wait for everybody to believe in your ability and dream, design it like the sky where everyone aspire to reach,” Ibeji said.

She reminded the girls there are those who suffered such mental and emotional trauma in the past but they are great men and women today who later excelled in their various carriers without such memories again in their lives.
She mentioned personalities like Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Joyce Meyer, Tony Blair, Mike Adenuga, who drove taxi to finance his education, as among those who suffered but are to great people in the world.

Barrister Ibeji pointed the rights of the girl child to meet up to sustainable development goals include education, good health and security among others. She then urged that the government to do what they suppose to do to help the girl child to achieve those rights.
She also called on government to discourage early marriage as it not in the interest of the girl child to do so, rather, they should be encourage to go to school and finish her education before going into marriage.
She noted the challenges of girl child which include poverty, hunger, illiteracy and lack of proper care by parents and guardians and appealed to the government to do everything necessary to discourage such attitudes.

ICI-GWODEF was organised in collaboration with United Nation Information Centre, UNIC and the Ministry of Youths and Development Lagos State.
Ibeji said ICI-GWODEF key into the vision, mission and the declaration of UN on the girl child on her life and future to make the UN vision 2030 a reality.