Women in Edo state have demanded apology from the suspended Onojie of Uromi, His Royal Highness Anselm Aidenojie, for alleged attack on one of their own, Mrs. Betty Okoebor.

The women Leader of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Aisosa Amadasun, who called on her male counterparts, civil society organisations and Edo women regardless of party affiliations to speak out, said: “We need to extract apology from the monarch.”

Dr. Amadasun said yesterday “We have issued a-72 hour ultimatum to the suspended monarch to apologise to all Edo women or face court action.”

Amadasun hailed the Edo State Executive Council for the prompt and punitive measure saying, “it would serve as deterrence to those who think the weak has no place in their midst”.

According to a statement by the state APC women leader, Dr. Aisoso Amadasun, “I want to specially thank the State Executive Council for the timely intervention and attempt to right the wrong perpetrated against one of our own – the weak in the society.

“This measure will act as deterrence to a lot of persons who engage in perpetrating violence against women and the decision to defend the weak must be commended by everyone because an injury to one woman is injury to all,” she said.

However, Amadasun threatened that Edo women would go to court, if the said monarch does not apologise to Mrs. Betty Okoebor within 72 hours of this publication adding that, “the suspended Onojie should be made to pick all the financial expenses incurred by the victim.”

She also called on her male counterparts to join the women to speak out about male violence against women and girls so as not to render them complicit. She said women suffer domestic violence and women are often sexually assaulted but convictions represent a tiny proportion.

“Putting it bluntly”, according to Dr. Amadasun, “the men who commit violence think they are likely to get away with it – and, devastatingly, they are right but for this step taken by the Edo State Executive Council to stem this tidal wave of violence.

“The other more compelling argument is that we live in a society where men dominate every pillar of power, from parliament to the economy to the media.

“Men crowd out the voices of women systematically, including on issues that directly affect women. It would be perverse if women did not take the lead in campaigning on violence overwhelmingly committed against them by men,” she said.

It would be recalled that a letter signed by Secretary to the State Government, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, dated October 26, 2016, titled “Suspension from Office as Traditional Ruler”, conveyed the decision of the Edo State Executive Council at its meeting on the 26th October 2016, suspending the monarch from office for seven days as Onojie of Uromi.

•Sourced from Independent. Photo shows Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State.

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