By Olasubomi Olateju
Authorities of the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology (BOUESTI) Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, have been commended for the prevailing zero-tolerance for Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the institution.
Wife of the Ekiti State governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji who gave the commendation during her GBV sensitization visit to the school noted that the management has always been proactive in the handling of the menace and other condemnable anti-social vices.
She said efforts to eradicate gender-based violence must be relentless, adding that ‘her visit was to challenge the monster called GBV and ensure it is brought down to a minimum or eliminated in the society’. The educationist stressed that one of the negative effects of GBV is that it scuttles socio-economic development of a nation.
Dr Oyebanji informed the audience that the Ekiti State government demonstrated proactiveness when in 2023 it put in place initiatives aimed at tackling the challenge. She explained that GBV is something to be condemned in the society, especially in the academic environment, a challenge she reiterated the management of BOUESTI took headlong long ago.
The Ekiti first lady solicited the cooperation of stakeholders in addressing what she further described as a societal cankerworm. She cautioned against engaging in what can trigger anti-social behaviour and the need to do away with drugs. Specifically to the students, the governor’s wife urged them to ” say something, when they see something, to speak out when they see something, than keeping quiet and remarked that there is no excuse for any form of abuse”.
Vice Chancellor of the BOUESTI, Prof. Olufemi Adeoluwa underscored that gender-based violence is becoming worse these days because a lot of people have gone into drugs. ” These days even teenagers have made people to know different types of drugs”. He said the advocacy visit of the governor’s wife to the institution was important and timely.
The school’s helmsman told Dr Oyebanji that her efforts in gender matters are not only impactful in Ekiti state, but across the country. The visit, he maintained was to address the worsening rise of gender-based violence majorly in the higher institutions, ‘which his school has zero-tolerance for’.
Prof. Adeoluwa posited that it behoves academic leaderships to ensure that there is peace in the society by bringing to the fore measures that will obviate emergence of issues or developments that are inimical to societal wellbeing.
In their separate goodwill messages the Ekiti state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Peju Babafemi, Ekiti state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Barrister Dele Apata, and the Ekiti state Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeniran Akinwale, deplored the increasing rate of gender-based violence in the society. They proffered ways of containing it, re-emphasizing that ignorance to the subsisting law on GBV is no excuse because culprits must face the music.
Also on the entourage of the governor’s wife was the State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun and other government officials.