Ekiti to dismiss any male worker found guilty of sexual assault

The Ekiti state Head of Service, Mrs. Peju Babafemi, has said that immediate dismissal awaits any male worker caught sexually assaulting his female counterpart in the state civil service.

Babafemi stated this while receiving the wife of the state governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, who paid her an advocacy visit in her office, in Ado-Ekiti.

“Any officer found culpable of sexual harassment in the civil service will be made to face immediate dismissal” she said.

According to the head of service, the present administration has zero tolerance for sexual offenders, stressing that the government will not condone any act of sexual abuse in the state, especially within the civil service.

“We will sensitise our female workers and encourage our women generally to speak out against any gender-based violence (GBV),’’ Babafemi said.

She said that public service rules had provisions which frown at gender based violence.

In her remarks, Mrs. Fayemi commended the head of service for her support in ensuring that the state was free of gender based violence, especially within the civil service.

She called on her to ensure that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) institutionalised policies and programmes that would address the issue of gender based violence.

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“Direct the implementation of gender mainstreaming across all MDAs and ensure that each of them has a gender officer in place. Also, you should give consideration to the interests of female civil servants in the provision of facilities within government premises, especially functional toilet facilities.

“Encourage, support and provide training and sensitisation for civil servants on gender and GBV issues, and champion effective gender budgeting.

“You should equally instruct that gender based violence cases be reported to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and other relevant agencies,” the governor’s wife said.