The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in Enugu State, Frank Nweke Jr, has vowed that if he’s elected as governor, gender based violence will not be tolerated in the state.
He made the vow in a statement released by his campaign organization on his behalf, following the trending video of a woman who was stripped naked and paraded in an Enugu community for picking snails from a place the community deemed sacred.
The full statement read: “My attention has been drawn to an incident that occurred on Friday, October 29th at Agunese Affam-Mmaku Community in Awgu LGA, Enugu State.
“A woman, a mother was stripped of her clothes and dignity, beaten and completely humiliated on the accusation of picking snails from a sacred grove. This is preposterous and I fully condemn this wicked act.
“It is outright abuse and criminal, and every person involved must be brought to the book.
“Under my government, the violence against our women, mothers and daughters, regardless of who they are, will not be tolerated or treated lightly.
“Women are critical to nation-building and must be given the pride of place in our social, economic and political reality. We must intentionally protect our women’s rights, pursue inclusive representation and increase women’s participation in leadership at all tiers as equal partners in development.
“I commend the LG Chairman for taking quick action to detain the culprits and salute the women’s groups that immediately condemned this act and commit to working with them to ensure that justice is done. My government will work to ensure that women are given full access to effectively play a role in the development of our society”.