Group advocates improved awareness on violence prohibition law in Kogi

Group advocates improved awareness on violence prohibition law in Kogi

VAPP

By Stephen Adeleye

Lokoja, June 26, 2024 (NAN) A group, The Participation For Behavioural Change In Development (PIBCID), has called for improvement in the awareness on the existence of Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, 2022 in Kogi.

The Executive Director of PIBCID, Rachael Akande, made the call at a workshop organised for critical stakeholders on Wednesday in Lokoja.

The workshop was organised by PIBCID and Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) in collaboration with Kogi  office of the Public Defender and Citizens’ Rights Commission (PDCRC).

Akande said that the VAPP law was enacted as a result of prevailing cases of  gender-based violence (GBV) and human right abuse in Kogi.

According to her, the main thrust of the law is to eliminate violence in private and public life, prohibit all forms of violence against persons such as rape, maiming of spouse, forceful ejection from home, forced isolation, acid bath  and killing, amongst others.

She said that the VAPP law was meant to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders and other related matters.

Akande noted that the VAPP law was domesticated in Kogi in June 2022, but decried the low level of awareness by the general public.

She stressed the need to sensitise and train the critical stakeholders to create awareness and its effective implementation to curb GBV in the state.

“The level of awareness of the provisions of VAPP Law 2022 in Kogi is still very low. We want more people to know about the law and take advantage of its provisions.

“This workshop is to create more awareness and involvement of relevant stakeholders that would champion the fight against gender based violence in Kogi,” Akande said.

She urged the participants to step down the training in their various organisations and increase the awareness at the grassroots across the state.

Akande also called for the provision of adequate funding for government’s relevant agencies and critical stakeholders, stressing that the issue of GBV is everybody’s responsibility.

Also speaking, the Director General of PDCRC in Kogi, Mr Musa Idris, said the VAPP law in the state was enacted in June 2022 and domiciled with Commission.

Idris said that the PDCRC had successfully handled several cases including domestic violence and rape, resolved several family issues as well as other cases free of charge.

He noted that offences such as rape that attracted a penalty of 40 years imprisonment under the Penal code, now attracted a life imprisonment under the Kogi  VAPP law, 2022.

Idris emphasised that the workshop was part of the commission’s effort to sensitise the populace about the provisions of the Kogi State VAPP law, 2022.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that resource persons at the training spoke on several topics, such as “Appraisal of the Provisions of Kogi State VAPP Law, 2022”, and “Overview of Offences and Punishment”.

Others included: “the Roles of Protection officers in the implementation of the VAPP law”, as well as “Roles of critical stakeholders under the Kogi State VAPP law, 2022”.

The Chief Executive Officer of Challenged Parenthood Network Initiative (CPI), Eunice Agbogun, said that the successful implementation of the VAPP law in Kogi demanded a collaborative effort from all stakeholders.

“By working together, these entities can create a system that empowers victims, strengthens the justice system, and ultimately fosters a safer environment for all citizens in Kogi,” Agbogun said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
ASA/ISHO/IU

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Edited by Yinusa Ishola/ Isaac Ukpoju