The Acting Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, has suggested the need for a federation of women lawyers to seek an amendment to laws that affect children and women’s well-being to protect their rights.
Justice Ogunmoye stated this in Ado Ekiti at an annual Lecture organized by the Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, in Ekiti State with the theme: “Achieving Enhanced Institutional Structures for the Advancement of Women and Children in Nigeria”
The Chief Judge, who was represented by Justice Blessing Ajileye, explained that the amendment became imperative to protect the interest of children as well as women, noting that his office would always be ready to provide necessary assistance in this regard when required.
He charged the Federation of Women Lawyers to always test the effectiveness of laws, most especially the ones relating to gender-based violence, by bringing whoever is culpable of the charge against the well-being of children and women to book and ensure that justice is done at every stage of prosecution.
In a welcome address, the outgoing State FIDA Chairperson, Mrs Oyinade Olatunbosun, noted that the Association had handled over three hundred cases of Gender-Based Violence in the last year, expressing the belief that if there were better structures, there would be an improvement in the administration of justice in that regard.
Also, the incoming FIDA Chairperson, Mrs Ayobami Olowoyo-Richard, said Ekiti has been leading when it comes to tackling the issue of Gender Based Violence, pointing out that stakeholders in the struggle against the menace would not relent.
“We will continue to sensitize the right set of people through awareness as well as advocacy programmes across all the local council areas, and we will have the support of government to carry out our goals and objectives, which is to enhance and protect the interest of women and children”. She added
In their separate Goodwill messages, a representative of Ekiti State Ministry of Women Affairs, Dr Adebayo Adesoji, State Coordinator National Human Rights Commission, Mr Oluwaponmile Shodehinde among others tasked all stakeholders in the task of fighting against GBV to speak out most especially when victims were traumatized as the interest of women and children should always be protected.
