Kidnapping, Sex abuse: Govt should ensure stiffer penalty for perpetrators –Ibiyemi Dabiri

IBIYEMI SAYO DABIRI, a survival of child sex abuse, a child protection advocate, and a child body sex expert, is also a sex educator .She runs a non-governmental organization (NGO), which is CLIPEG SOLUTION INITIATIVE, which spreads awareness and prevention on child sex abuse through education.

In this interview with ISAAC NGUMAH, she talks about sex abuse, kidnapping and other issues and the need for government to mete out stiffer penalty to the perpetrators of these dastardly acts. Excerpts:

What is Clipeg Solution?

Clipeg Solution was borne out of passion to minimize if not totally eradicate sex abuse of children. What we do in Clipeg Solution is to give a voice to the voiceless. We educate adults on the importance of preventing child sex abuse which is through education. So, we spread education through awareness by teaching them on what to do. We also educate children on body sex; we go to schools, both primary and tertiary to educate them on how they can be prevented from being sexually abused. That is what Clipeg Solution is basically all about.  We run workshop and seminar and we have a major programme that we run on a yearly basis which is tagged: AWASCA. That is: Awareness Walk Against Child Sex Abuse, which we run through workshop and seminar and we have a major programme that we run on every April to create awareness across some states in Nigeria.

When did you start the initiative and for what purpose?

We started in 2014 and what brought about that was as a result of me being sexually abused as a growing up child and cannot allow other innocent children go through the same thing. That was how the birth of Clipeg Solution came into existence.

What are your goals and focus?

Our goal is to minimize, if not eradicate the sex abuse of children and our focus basically is to educate adult and children for them not to be prey of sex abuse.

Can you tell us about your mission?

Our mission is to empower the adult and the children in order to prevent child sexual abuse in our society.

Can you tell us about your free workshop and seminar?

We run our free workshop and seminar across states in Nigeria. I started majorly at the rural areas and they are free. We go into communities; we work with religious bodies; we work with schools, we work with Baales; we work with Kabiyesis and some state Governors in order to spread awareness to prevent child sex abuse.

What about your annual walk across the states?

AWACSA, Awareness Walk Against Child Sex Abuse, is an annual project. This year, it is going to commence first week in the month of April. We are targetting three states and nine locations. We will be mobilising volunteers to walk and talk with us educating communities on the prevention of child sex abuse.

Why did you organize the yearly work?

Why we organise the yearly walk is because we realize that the only way to stop or eradicate or minimize sex abuse is through education. So, we choose that platform to sensitize the communities on the danger of what child sex abuse entails and how they can prevent it in our society especially towards our female children.

Can you tell us about your sex abuse programmes in states that you visited?

Like I said earlier on, we have what we call ‘empower to prevent’; we have a project ‘empower to prevent platform’. With, this project, we go to schools to sensitize children on what sex abuse entails and how they can prevent it and this cuts across the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.

Can you outline your projects?

Our projects: The first one is called AWASCA and I said earlier on, is Awareness Walk Against Sex Abuse; two, ‘empower to prevent project’; three, we have our school tours as well.

What are your impacts so far in organising sex abuse programmes?

The impact is quite encouraging and numerous. We have been able to work with sexually abused children who have finally gained their voice and they are also using their voice to say ‘No against sexual abuse’. We have been able to take charge of children from abusive homes. We want to place them in a safe place. Some of them are back to learning vocation. We pay school fees of those into catering and we ensure their feeding. So, the impact is quite numerous and we have been able to bring about seven perpetrators into book

How can the adult be protected from stopping sex abuse?

They need to get informed; they need to get educated, they need to get empowered. When they are well informed, when they are well educated, when they are empowered, especially through our workshop/seminars, they can go back and equip the children from being safe from child sex abuse. So, what is needed here is education.

What can the government do to enhance this project of yours to stop sex abuse?

Over the years, we have been asking the government to make the penalty of molesters and abusers they should make the penalty stiffer. When the justice prevails is when justice prevails, then the number and the rate of child sexual abuse will reduce also the federal government which we have been clamoring over the years, the government should incalcate sex education into the school curriculum in all levels.

There are lots of cases of sex abuses and still the perpetrators escape. How can justice prevail over this?

Like I rightly said, society at large is part of the problems that allows them to get away with this because they are scared of stigmatization, they silence the child; even when the child is picking up, they intend to cover it under the carpet. Let’s expose the perpetrators irrespective of who they are once they are exposed.  Once the case is being reported, the government should come up with stiffer penalty for abusers. This will enhance eradication of sex abuse of children.

What can you say on the death of Bamise in BRT bus who was raped and murdered?

Bamise was a young healthy, energetic lady full of purpose but sadly enough, our society silenced her just like that. It is sad but what I am looking forth too is justice. Bamise must get justice because if justice is not got, a lot of other Innocent children will continue to be a victim; so, justice for Bamise and justice for all because one justice for one person is justice for all.

Can you tell us about your empowerment programmes in schools?

What we do in schools is that we run a curriculum through what we call their CAREER and GUIDANCE COUNSELLING. We take our curriculum to them and we run three terms in an academic session.

Can sex education be taught in school?

Like I said earlier on, the government should inculcate sex education into our school curriculum and it should as well employ qualified and certified sex educators to handle this particular subject so that they can make it appropriate.

How long have you been running your NGO?

It’s been eight years.

What are the motives behind this initiative?

Like I said, the motive is to ensure that children are being protected

Can you tell us about your passion drive?

What drives me is to see a society free of child sex abuse where children can absolutely enjoy childhood.

Do you have any related issue on sex abuse?

Like I rightly said I am a survival of childhood sex abuse I had multiple sex abuse growing up as a child. I am a survival of childhood sex abuse.

What can you say on the 21st century generations where we have cases of fathers who rape their daughters, uncles, cousins, friends, among others?

IT is sad but that is the reality and the reflection of our society. The way out is to keep  spreading awareness against this evil in our society.

What were you doing before you establish your NGO

I was an entrepreneur and I am still an entrepreneur.

How many states are aware of your initiatives?

Five states

Can you name them?

Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Kwara States

The issue of kidnapping students and raping them is becoming rampant in our society. What can the government do to prevent this?

Government needs to come up with policy that will ensure the safety of our children especially in the school sectors. Proper safety precaution should be put in place. Government should also ensure that our borders are properly guided.

Who are your sponsors?

That is a question that makes me laugh. Our first sponsor is the almighty God, then friends, families and partners. So, we don’t really have a major sponsor for now.

How do you want government/individual to support you?

Yes, we want them to come on board by supporting all our projects. They should come on board; they should give their support and the government should encourage more people to come on board and when we had cases, they should ensure that justice is being set.

Can you tell us about your awards so far?

By the grace of God, I bagged United Nations’ awards; I have Unicef awards; and I also have awards from church communities and some Kabiyesis.

For a better society