The Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Marcus Onobun has charged members of the National Human Rights Commission(NHRC), to extend their awareness campaign against violation of the rights of the vulnerable groups (women and children) in the society to rural communities where access to valuable information is limited.
He gave the charge in Benin City on Friday when members of the National Human Rights Commission, Edo State paid an advocacy visit to the Speaker as part of their 16-days activism to eradicate all forms of violence against vulnerable groups in the society resulting in violation of their fundamental human rights.
Rt.Hon.Marcus said that the 7th assembly under his leadership has passed over 41 Bills into Law and two of the laws border on protection of the rights of the vulnerable in the society.
Citing laws passed by the House in support of the objectives of the commission, he said a Law that prohibits violence against vulnerable persons and a law prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities were passed to address the fundamental challenges of the vulnerable groups whose fundamental human rights are often violated through certain behavioural actions of some individuals or groups.
He said “we are willing to partner National Human Rights Commission to ensure that the message of human violation and its consequences get to our people in the hinterlands where electronic transmission of information is almost impossible.
“Also we will be willing to provide any form of assistance needed to ensure total enforcement of the provisions of the law because gender based violence against the vulnerable persons has gone beyond only women and children being victims, men are also at the receiving end of the violation of these fundamental rights abuses too. He noted.
Earlier, the State Coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission, Edo State, Mr. Olumide Dosumu had stated that they were on an advocacy visit to the office of the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly as part of their 16 days of activism/awareness campaign against sexual and gender-based violence.
He said the advocacy visit was aimed at synergising with relevant stakeholders to make policy statements that would protect the rights of every woman and girl child in the society