Mr. Cletus Ofoke, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Ebonyi, says the ministry will partner the Office of the Wife of the Governor in the fight against spousal battery, rape, family abandonment and other forms of violence in the state.
Ofoke said this on Friday in Abakiliki, when an advocacy group, called ‘The Evil Must End Now’ (TEMEN), an arm of the Family Succor and Upliftment Foundation, a pet project of the governor’s wife, Mrs. Rachel Umahi, visited his office.
The commissioner said that the ministry would build the necessary synergy with relevant institutions to end the menace.
He said that the ministry had dedicated legal officers to provide legal representation in all circumstances for speedy dispensation of cases of violence.
He said that the wife of the governor had shown exceptional interest in the well-being of the less privileged and the vulnerable through her various programmes.
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Ofoke said, “The ministry will do its best using the instrument of the law to advance the activities of TEMEN.”
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mrs Stephanie Ekumakama, said that the visit became necessary, following the rising cases of violence and abuse in the state.
Ekumakama, who is a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, Office of the Wife of the Governor, said that relevant institutions needed to advance the fight against spousal battery, rape and family abandonment, among others.
Also, Mrs. Patience Offorokorie, wife of the Chief of Staff, Government House, said that with the right legal backing, the fight would produce quality result.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police (CP), Ebonyi Police Command, Mr. Awoshola Awotunde, has promised to work with the group to fight crime and all forms of violence against people.
Awotunde said that the command, through its Family Affairs Unit, would collaborate with the group to end the scourge.
The CP, however, said that the greatest challenge to tackling the menace was the fact that most people were usually hesitant to volunteer useful information on cases of abuse.
“We have desk officers in charge of this development,” he said, while urging the group to take advantage of the desk to enhance the collaboration. (NAN)
