The Rivers State Response Team on Violence Against Women & Children have cautioned parents and guardians on the need to be cautious about giving out their children and wards as maids to persons promising to give the children meaningful ife in the city.
The Team urged religious leaders to guide their followership aright, and to join in the campaign against gender based violence in the State.
Coordinator, Rivers State Response Team on Violence Against Women & Children; and Chairman, Rivers Indigenous NGOs & Civil Society Network (RINGOCS), Tombari Dumka-Kote, stated this while speaking at the child dedication and thanksgiving church service of Hon. Batom Sunday, Councilor representing Kegbara Dere Ward 6, in the Gokana Legislative Assembly at the Apostolic Church 1, Kegbara Dere Area.
Dumka-Kote, who noted that children are gift from God and should not be subjected to any form of violence and abuse, informed the congregation that the man who poured hot water on his maid at Agip area of Port Harcourt have been arrested and will be made to face the law.
“As a Team, we want to state that we shall continue to sensitize people on the need to avoid acts of violence at all time irrespective of who is involved”. Those found wanting shall face the law so as to serve as a deterrent to other persons who would have committed related crimes. However, it i discouraged.
The Response Team Coordinator announced the commencement of activities by the Team to mark the ’16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence’, starting Monday, November 25th, to December 10th, 2025.
He called on the church to encourage it’s members to participate in sensitization programmes and talk shop already lined up for the period, hinting that the Gokana Local Government Council has pledge to support all programmes of the Team during the period as a way of reedling the area of perpetrators of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV).
The theme for this year 16 Days of Action is: ‘Towards Benjieng +30: Unite to End Violence Against Women and Girls’.
Edison Belaanen
Media/Communication Officer.