The Executive Director of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, Rev Fr George Ehusani, has charged religious leaders to instil moral values in their congregants in a bid to halt gender-based violence.
He stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of a workshop for Christian stakeholders on skills and mechanisms for the elimination of sexual and gender-based violence in the country.
Ehusani contended that people who twist the scriptures to justify any form of violence were mischievous.
According to him, most victims of gender– based violence would never recover from the trauma, adding that perpetrators should be punished decisively.
He said: “Priests, pastors, as well as women and youth leaders in faith communities, such as you participants here are often held in high esteem in our society, and they serve as mentors, counsellors and arbiters and they have the responsibility and privilege of regularly delivering religious messages that offer moral guidance to the members of their religious congregations.
“We, therefore, believe that you religious leaders and stakeholders can be veritable agents of positive change once you yourself have been worn over to the course.
“Whereas the teachings and live examples of Jesus Christ are very clear on the equal dignity of men and women and the sanctity and availability of all persons created in God’s image indeed, there are a few controversial texts of Scripture that have sometimes in the past being given such mischievous and self serving interpretations as to justify some categories of sexual and gender based violence.
“However, a closer examination of each one of these texts in the context of Jesus’s overall teaching and Jesus’s civilisation of love, which is characterised by self sacrifice, and peace and non violent.”
The representative of the National Agency for the Prohibition in Person (NAPTIP), Ifeanyi Gabriel Onyeali, said the agency had arrested and prosecuted perpetrators of gender–based violence and human trafficking.
“We have recorded successes in the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of human trafficking. But we will do more. It is a collective battle that needs contributions,” he said. (Sun)