Sanwo-Olu’s Wife Takes Advocacy Against Sexual And Gender-Based Violence To Schools.

The wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu has taken the advocacy against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, SGBV, to Secondary schools within the State as part of activities marking the United Nations 16 days of activism.

The sixteen days of activism, an annual event on the UN calendar, which started on November 25 and will end on December 10 is aimed at creating awareness on SGBV and this year’s theme is ” Orange the world end violence against Women Now”

Mrs Sanwo-Olu who was at Dolphin Junior and Senior Secondary Schools, Lagos Island, and Aje Junior and Senior Comprehensive High Schools Yaba said the Nigerian Governors’ Wives Forum as well as some State Ministries and Agencies had collaborated to end the menace in all States of the Federation.

She said already, sensitization at the grassroots encompassing community and religious leaders had been carried out and explained that the school advocacy is aimed at inculcating zero tolerance to SGBV in the young girls and boys.

“We realized that it is good to catch them young and so when we plant this seed in the children, it will gradually germinate and it helps us to ensure that our students have the correct mindset and understand why these vices exist and what the law says about the vices in the country.

“I am happy with the response we are getting. The students are interested in knowing about Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and joining the train to stamp it out in our state. We have distributed some resource materials that will help the teachers, the students, and the parents Associations in the respective schools to know more and work against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in our communities,” she said.

According to the wife of the Governor, the advocacy will also be taken to police stations, the markets and other key community points within the State.

The students were educated on steps to take to prevent abuse and to report sexual assault via the hotline 08000333333

During the sensitization programme, School prefects were inaugurated as ambassadors against SGBV, while the wife of the Governor donated laptops, educational materials and industrial cooking gas to each of the schools.

DOWEN COLLEGE REACTION

Reacting to the death of the Dowen College Student, Sylvester Oromoni, Mrs Sanwo-Olu commiserated with the parents and described the incident as heartbreaking.

Noting that the State government is already investigating the matter, Mrs Sanwo-Olu described the incident as a slap on the face of the State as a community.

“I am aware that the Lagos State Government is at the moment investigating the incident and honestly it is something we are not very happy about. It’s a big slap on the face of the education sector, the community, and Lagos State as a whole.

“It is a case that is being investigated and for the parents and everybody involved, honestly, we commiserate with them and send our condolences.

“As I said, the case is being investigated and I will not be able to say much on it at the moment,” Sanwo-Olu said.

The Lagos State Government has ordered the Indefinite closure of Dowen College in an attempt to unravel the circumstances which led to the death of the JSS 2 student.