The Justice Development and Peace Centre (JDPC) of the Catholic Diocese of Akure, Ondo State, has expressed concern over the spate of violence against women and girls in the state.
The JDPC Programme Officer, Catholic Diocese, Akure, Mr Austin Ogunleye, who stated this during a press conference to commemorate the 2020 16-Day of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, called for action from all stakeholders to put an end to the menace.
Ogunleye noted that Ondo State remained the only state in the South West region that has failed to domesticate the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP).
He, however, said the JDPC has been working with other stakeholders to draft the VAPP Bill and presented the bill to the Executive, which did some modifications before transmitting it to the State House of Assembly.
According to him, the bill if passed into law, would make provisions for prohibition of violence against persons and also prescribe punishment for offenders.
He said the bill would become a document that would be used in the prosecution of perpetrators of various forms of violence while it would also take care of some issues concerning men.
He said the survey by the JPDC indicated that apart from physical violence, women also suffer from economic violence which ranges from lack of quality education, healthcare, amongst others to enhance their productivity.
The JPDC programme Officer, however, appealed to Ondo State House of Assembly, to give the bill a priority and enact the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) as a matter of urgency in order to provide protection for women and ensure punishment for perpetrators of gender-based violence in the state.
He urged the citizens of the state to start engaging their representatives at the assembly on the bill, assuring that its passage would address issues of violence in all ramifications and comprehensively too, while he stressed the need for security agencies to do more in terms of prosecuting cases of gender-based violence to curb the social menace.
He said: “We want to use this opportunity to appreciate Ondo State government for transmitting the VAPP draft to Ondo State House of Assembly, this for us is a good development.
“We wish to call on the chief judge of Ondo State to make sure that cases of gender-based violence are given speed trial. More so, we call on the government through the office of the wife of the governor, to do more in providing quality education, healthcare and other social amenities that dignify the women of Ondo State.
“Also, the office of the wife of the governor should provide empowerment for women so we can have more women contributing to the economy of the state and nation as a whole.”
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
ICYMI: Nigeria Back Into Recession, Worst Since 1987
Nigeria is back into a recession. This time, it is the worst the country has experienced since 1987…
ICYMI: Why We Can’t Call Off Strike Now –ASUU
It is still uncertain whether the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will end soon as the president of the union, Professor ‘Biodun Ogunyemi has said there are certain steps to be taken to reach a final conclusion on the issue…