TUC PROTESTS AGAINST RAPE IN OWERRI
Reporter : CHINAZO ILECHUKWU
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State says his administration will support any severe penalty against those who engage in rape and other gender-based violence in the country. He stated this when the Women’s Wing of the Trade Union Congress matched to the Government House Owerri to register their protest against the increasing incidents of defilement and rape in Nigeria.
Governor Uzodinma represented by the Chief of Staff Government House, Chief Nnamdi Anyaehie, described rape as crime against humanity, which must be stamped out through collaborative efforts.
The Chairperson of the Group in Imo State, Comrade Georgy Allan B-Onyemaechi, said the women wing of the TUC embarked on the nationwide campaign to draw the attention of the government to the need for stiffer penalties for rapists. Comrade Onyemaechi urged victims of rape not to hesitate in reporting the case and seeking justice to discourage the crime.
The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Anyaehie, after receiving the protest letter on behalf of his principal, accompanied the women in the match in solidarity to the course.
The women matched round major streets of Owerri with placards bearing inscriptions including
“Stop Rape,” “Rape is a lifetime injury” and “Government should implement stiffer punishment for Rapists.”