Ekiti State Government says it has opened a black book, called the Sexual Offenders Register, to compile a list of convicted sexual offenders in the state.

A statement on Monday said the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olawale Fapohunda, said this during a visit of the Gender-based Violence Prohibition Law management committee.

The team was led by the wife of the Governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, in her capacity as the chairperson of the committee; and Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Fola Richie-Adewusi.

The commissioner said the sexual offenders register would ensure that perpetrators were ostracised from the society.

Fapohunda said, “This step will serve as a deterrent to men who find pleasure in assaulting women and young girls.”

He told the visitors that the ministry was proposing a bill on rights of personswith disability, especially women and children, adding that works on the EqualOpportunities Bill had reached an advanced stage.

Fayemi urged the commissioner to assign GBV-related cases to lawyersadequately trained for the purpose and who are sensitive to gender issues.

She also called for the retention of such lawyers for a reasonable period of time as prosecuting GBV counsel before they are transferred to other departments of the ministry.

Governor of the state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, had on November 25, 2011, signed into law the gender-based violence bill, which was initiated and promoted by his wife.

As part of efforts to strengthen the new Law, the delegation had paid similar advocacy visits to the Vice Chancellor, Ekiti State University, Prof. Oladipo Aina; state command’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sotonye Wakama; and Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola.

Punch-metro