Gov. Bello signs VAPP bill into law
Story from Rabi’atu, Lokoja
The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has signed the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) bill into law.
The signing of the bill was disclosed Monday by the Secretary to Kogi State Government, Dr Folashade Ayoade Arike.
Speaking on the signing of the bill, the Kogi state chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Mrs Ann Olurinde, described the signing of the bill as a gift that the Governor has bequeathed to the people of the state.
READ ALSO: VAPP BILL: Kogi human rights agency partners group on policy execution
The NAWOJ chairperson who described the bill as good for the people of Kogi expressed appreciation that the state has joined other states in the signing of the bill.
She maintained that the bill has all it takes to protect citizens against violence of any kind and described the law as one that matters and is very important to the state.
Mrs Ann expressed appreciation to the Savannah Centre For Development and Democracy for the support which led to the signing of the bill into law.
She commended Eunice Abimbola Agbogun, Executive Director, Challenged Parenthood Initiatives, for sponsoring the bill, and praised her painstaking efforts in seeing that it was signed by the State Assembly.
She further thanked members of the State Steering Committee for their efforts in advocating for the bill to be signed into law.
Violence Against Persons Prohibition bill is a law to provide for the elimination of violence in private and public life, prohibition of all forms of violence against persons, protection of victims and punishment of offenders in Kogi State and other matters connected therewith.
The bill was passed by the Kogi State House of Assembly and has been assented to by the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
The law in summary seeks to protect women and children and other person’s under the perpetrators’ care, destitute and without any means of subsistence.
The law looks at the circumcision of the girl-child or women, civil proceedings, damage to property, use of dangerous weapons, domestic relationships and economic abuse.
Similarly, the law looks at emotional, verbal and psychological abuse, and forced isolation from family and friends.
The law equally looks at sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and sexual intimidation.
The VAPP bill also seeks to protect against violence in the public sphere which includes wrongful arrest and detention, use of force without lawful authority, unlawful entry into premises or demolition of property without due processes.
The law seeks to protect against rape and defines rape as intentional penetration, without consent and when consent is obtained by force.
The law which provides punishment for offenders has already been signed into law by 32 states of the federation. With the signing of the bill by the Kogi State Governor, only three states are left to do so.
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