FENRAD Demands Immediate Domestication of Violence Act
Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, an Environmental Rights and Advocacy Group, has implored the seventh Abia House of Assembly to expedite and facilitate all legislative processes that would ensure hasty adoption and domestication of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, (VAPP Act, 2015) as a state law.
This becomes pressing as recent events during the lockdown have further shown. Sexual and gender – based violence (SGBV) and domestic violence, mostly against women and girls (minors), FENRAD learns, increased by folds during the recently eased lockdown most of which were not documented, even unreported across the federation.
According to the group, “the rise in spate of sexual harassment, assault, violence, and abuse calls for serious concern; even immediate response. The tragic rape and murder of two female undergraduates: Miss Vera Omozuwa, a 22-year-old student of Microbiology with University of Benin and Miss Barakat Bello, an 18-year-old student of Science Laboratory Technology with University of Ibadan, both of which occurred on May 27, 2020 and June 1, 2020 respectively, brought the issue of rape and violence to the fore.
“Prior to the gruesome rape and murder of Omozuwa and Bello, the rape of Mrs. Queen Igbinevbo was equally reported on May 20, 2020. Mrs. Igbinevbo who was murdered in cold blood before Umozuwa and Bello, was pregnant at the time of her rape and subsequent death.
“FENRAD is aware that International Federation of Women Lawyers, (FIDA), in a protest released on June 3, 2020, bemoaned the alarming rate of rape and violence during the lockdown. To cite just a few of the cases, FIDA condemned the rape of young Chioma, 14, raped by her landlord’s son, a 31-year-old man.
In faraway Jigawa, girl, 12, was raped by 11 men! The list is interminable and FENRAD does not wish to enumerate them. These days, graphic pictures of minor victims of paediophilic attacks, child molestation and even rape flood the virtual space. The truth is if stricter laws are not put in place, evil like this may thrive and Abia may not even be spared, the domino tried given.
To bring it home, in Abia state, few years ago, one Mr. Emeka Asibirionwu, 65, was paraded after he was arrested for allegedly having raped a 2-year-old girl, a minor. Cases of minor male children raped by male and female adults abound also, to the knowledge of FENRAD. This is a clear condemnable, unacceptable height of man’s inhumanity.
“FENRAD wishes to commend the state government under the leadership of Okezie Ikpeazu, Ph.D, for joining other thirty-five state governors in declaring a “state of emergency” on rape but wishes to remind His Excellency and the 24 Honourable members of the seventh assembly of the need to go one better by ensuring the domestication of Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, so that rapists, enablers of rape, all manner of sexual offenders are brought to book. Time is due already, but FENRAD believes much can be done in this regard should this domestication be met.
“FENRAD wishes to extend a congratulatory message to the seventh assembly of the Abia State House of Assembly on its recent one year inaugural celebration on June 10, 2020. Still and all, FENRAD wishes to remind the honourable members that 17 bills for one year, though appreciable, remains just fairly good. There indeed are many pressing areas where legislative inputs are needed in addition to the domestication of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act of 2015 but suffice it to say that if this Act as domesticated, Abia would be on its march to a just and fairer state.
“Enough said, it is against all decent norms that God’s own state is left behind in the crusade against sexual and gender-based violence or domestic violence at a time like this when it should be leading the pack.
Signed.
.Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor
Executive Director
Foundation for Environmental Rights,Advocacy & Development(FENRAD)
