BY: VITALIS UGOH , Calabar
.The Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Cross River State chapter has called for a law passing “death penalty” against any one involved in raping a woman or girl child.
This will serve as a deterant to others who would want to engage in such wicked and devilish act in our society.
Speaking to the Patriot News Online in Calabar yesterday after “a street walk advocacy” from Eleven Eleven to the House of Assembly Complex, Governor’s Office down to the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Chairman, Mrs. Umo Bassey Edet, condemned the growning rate of rape cases across the country.
The call she said, became necessary because the rapists also kill their victims after raping them or rather most victims die in the processes of being traumatised,
“Today’s Walk is our own contribution as an Association on the current advocacy against rape in Nigeria. It is our own way of leaning our voices against rape. Recently, there has been increasing rate on rape cases in the country. It is not only in Nigeria, but it is beyond the globe and Cross River state is not left out.
As a result, the association decided to join several other organizations to create awareness to support the rape victims and to ensure that we do what we can to get government to make stiffer laws against rapists.
“Rape victims, she said are traumatised, some are killed while others lives with it for life. Some of these victims may never get pregnant for life. They end up losing their wombs and it may lead to one complication or the other, she added”
“There .is alot of abuses here and there. The girl child in Nigeria is greatly endangered. As I speak, as a mother, I fear for my daughter. We are so afraid, in fact the World is no longer safe for the women and the girl child. It is quiet unfortunate, he said”.
“What we are doing today is to see how we can get the government and the legislators put a law to fight this menace in our society. In fact, we are advocating for “death penalty ,Edet added”.
She described rape as a crime against humanity and you can not defend it. You don’t have any reason to molest some one who could be your sister, daughter, your wife or even your mother because old people are not left out. I begin to wonder when they say it is because of the way a girl dresses that lead to their been raped,. Now how was a six or 18 year old dressed. What is her body that could entice a man? “.
She called on all and sundry to join hands to fight this deadest menace in our society, adding that.”there is no excuse. Rapists just have mental problem. I think they belong to the Zoo”.
A father, Mr Peter Ibor Bassey was of the view that parents have alot to do especially on how the girl child dresses these days.
According to him, “so many men don’t have self discipline and this leads them into raping. “
The church has alot to do also pertaining the dressing pattern of our young ones as a way to reduce the cases of rape in our society.
Speaking also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Electronic Media and a member of NAWOJ, Mrs. Imani Odey, said over the years there has been series of reports on a number of cases against women and rape is one amongst them.
“We have been so used to this culture of not speaking out. This has done more harm than good in our society and so as women journalists, we decided to come out today to join other women groups to say enough is enough in all forms of violence against women and the girl child. .
Odey said “we are tired of seeing our women been battered and we are tired of hearing of our women been raped”.
She called on the government’ at all levels to support the women and provide a better society for them to live as others without being molested. Right now, we are scared of the society we are living in because of what we see in the social media and read on national dailies all against women.
She wondered what could lead to a three or four old child being raped by someone over 70 years and so we want to speak out and say “enough is enough”.
Mrs. Offiong A. Offiong regretted that over the years, the government and the society have swept the issue of rape under the carpet and today it has manifested so obvious with a big challenge against women and the girl child.
“Rape or being raped has a sychological problem. A lot of people have been raped at one point or the other in their lives. It is really annoying that men believes that when a woman says no it means yes. This is the notion alot of them have been using to rape their victims.
She said parents have a lot role to play in this issue because they don’t take time to study their children while growing They don’t talk or listen to them. We must also mind the people in our homes. Most of the perpetrators live within or people that are close to the victim.
She urged the victims not to hide the perpetrators. Speak out to get yourself out of the trauma as well as get them face the penalty. Go to the hospital first for thorough medical treatment
Offiong called for a law that will make it unpleasurable for people to rape. Dressing has nothing to do with rape.
The displayed some placards that read, “No woman deserved to be raped, if you support rape, you are a rapist and Rape is a crime against humanity and women”
In the past few weeks, the nation has been griped with fears from one rape case to the other which had led to several advocacy groups to rise up to condemn this bastardedly act by some people in our society.
