Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, has committed to use his office to continue to advocate for a halt to all forms of violence to all persons including the weak and the vulnerable as well as sexual and gender-based violence.

The Speaker made the commitment recently during a working visit by the National Orientation Agency, Abia State Directorate, led by the Director, Dr Ngozi Okechukwu, to his office.

The Speaker who recalled that the Abia State House of Assembly under his leadership had earlier in the year passed the Violence Against All Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Bill, said the Assembly has always been conscious of the safety and security of the people especially the vulnerable, hence, the speedy passage of the VAPP Bill which is comprehensive enough to prevent violence and serve justice to both victims and violators.

As part of his further commitment to the cause, the Speaker signed up to a PLEDGE by the National Orientation Agency, PAACA and MacArthur Foundation, to protect the vulnerable and support victims of all forms of violence including sexual and gender-based violence at all times.

Speaking earlier, the Abia State Director of NOA, Dr Ngozi Okechukwu, who led the delegation, said the mission of the NOA team to the Speaker’s office was to enlist his support and that of his colleagues in the campaign against violence in the society. She thanked the Speaker for committing to the cause without any hesitation and promised to continue to partner with other critical stakeholders to stamp out violence from the society.