Advocacy Visit to the Rivers State Commissioner of Police (CP)

CEHRD and representatives of the peace club paid an advocacy visit to the Rivers state Commissioner of Police (CP) – Francis M. Odesanya on Friday August 26^th, 2016. The advocacy team was made up of CEHRD representatives, two female and one male peace club members from Marine Base and the Peace club facilitator. The meeting with the Rivers State Commissioner of Police – Francis M. Odesanya also had in attendance the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Finance and Administration, Y.R.K Okoro.

The advocacy visit is to seek support from the Nigerian Police to ensure that the Violence against Persons’ Prohibition Act (VAPP) is enforced by ensuring that gender desks in every division as directed by the former inspector General of Police- Solomon Arase are functional.

In his contribution, the Director of Programmes, CEHRD, Mr. Styvn Obodoekwe appreciated the CP for making out time to receive members of the advocacy team, and also solicited the enforcement of the VAPP Act 2015, which was signed into law by the former President – Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. He noted that, while efforts are being made by the peace club to raise public awareness on the VAPP Act, it is also important that the police give an enabling environment to bring offenders to book, thereby serving as deterrent to others.

Responding to the presentation by the advocacy team, CP Odesanya appreciated CEHRD and the Peace Club for its work in the last three (3) years, and promised that the Police will do all within its capacity to give attention to it and other security issues which have posed immense challenge to the command in recent times. CP Odesanya on that premise instructed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Finance and Administration (Y.R. K Okoro) to identify and to assign gender desk officers across other police stations under the command to take-up issues around violence against persons.