NCAC, NTA Partner To Combat Rape Menace
THE Nigerian Television Authority ( NTA) and the National Council for Arts and Culture ( NCAC) have resolved together to tackle the menace of rape in Nigeria.
The Director- General, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe and the Director- General, Nigerian Television Authority, Mallam Yakubu ibn Mohammed, made this resolution when the NCAC boss paid a courtesy call on his counterpart in NTA headquarters, Abuja.
According to the Women At Risk International Foundation, Africa has the highest prevalence rate of child sexual abuse around 34.4 per cent. The foundation noted that between 2012 and 2013, about 30 per cent of women in Nigeria experienced one form of domestic violence or another.
Findings from a National Survey carried out in 2014 on Violence Against Children in Nigeria confirmed one in four females reported experiencing sexual violence in childhood with approximately 70 per cent reporting more than one incident of sexual violence. In the same study, it was found that 24.8 per cent of females’ ages 18 to 24 years experienced sexual abuse prior to age 18 of which 5.0 per cent sought help, with only 3.5 per cent receiving any services.
Runsewe stated that efforts of NTA have drastically reduced the rate of rape in Nigeria, as indicated by available statistics.
He added that the sustained information and condemnation of rape by NTA has gone a long way to sensitise victims and their families on what to do and whom to complain to when they are violated. Runsewe said that as custodian of culture in Nigeria and Africa, he knows that no aspect of Nigerian or African custom or tradition supports sexual violation of women, and as such, would throw his weight behind any institution that is ready to fight rape and rapists in the country.
According to him, he finds in the NTA, a formidable ally in sensitising Nigerians on the dangers of rape and the consequences on its victims. He added that his organisation strongly believes that NTA and NCAC can form the much- needed synergy that is required to fight rapists all over the country.
The Director- General of Nigerian Television Authority, Mallam Yakubu ibn Mohammed, on his part, affirmed his support for the Federal Government’s determination to eradicate the scourge of banditry, kidnapping and very recently, rape, stated that NTA has decided to be in the forefront of the vanguard to fight rapists and all these other social vices in Nigeria.
Mallam Mohammed added that an acronym ‘ STAR – Stand Against Rape has already been adopted to fight against this social vice called rape.
According to Mallam Mohammed, NTA is happy that Runsewe is coming to join forces with them to fight the menace that is fast becoming a pandemic.
Mohammed concluded that rape is a pandemic that must be tacked with all determination. He promised to put in his best to fight rape and rapists to ensure that it is reduced to the barest minimum in Nigeria.
The high point of the visit was the inauguration of a joint planning committee to produce a working document for both organisations after the exchange of gifts from both heads of agency.