Damaturu
In an effort to strengthen response, provide social protection services to victims of gender-based violence and gender assault-related cases, the federal government in partnership with Yobe state government has mapped out an intervention programme to support the already established SGBV referral centre located at Damaturu, the state capital.
This was made possible through the British Council in Nigeria.
A Technical Assistant in the office of the Vice President, Hajiya Hadiza Aminu Dorayi, who was on a fact-finding mission to the state, disclosed this in Damaturu at the weekend.
She said: “The British Council and the Federal Government of Nigeria have mapped out future interventions to support victims of such cases in a view to access good health care, access judicial representation, counseling services and social support.
“Already a referral centre has come on board with a steering committee inaugurated in the state. What we needed here is the support of our traditional and religious leaders who are the gate keepers to the communities to be able to sensitise the public about zero tolerance for sexual violence and assault.”
She called on the citizens to be supportive and vigilant in order to “breach the gap, looking at the difficult situation the North-east went through in the past; hence the need to rebuild their systems and structures as part of its post conflict interventions.”
