By Hajara Leman
The wife of the Gombe Governor, Hajiya Asama’u Yahaya, has urged parents and guardians in the state to report incidence of rape and other Gender-Based Violence (GBV) to authorities without hesitation.
Yahaya in a statement signed by Hajiya Bintu Sunmonu, Senior Special Assistant to the governor on media and publicity in Gombe on Sunday, praised the Gombe State House of Assembly for passing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) bill.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the house, on Oct. 18, passed the VAPP bill during plenary following the approval and adoption of the report of the house committee on Judiciary.
”I am calling on key stakeholders in the fight against GBV, especially parents and victims, to summon the courage and report perpetrators of rape and other forms of abuse against women and girls, to serve as deterrent.
”In the past, lack of laws to govern and provide relevant constitutional punishment for offenders and those involved in violation of women’s rights left the female folks in fear and dying in silence,” she said.
She said the passage of the bill was timely considering the fact that children, especially the girl- child who are more vulnerable were living in a society surrounded by lots of atrocities and crimes .
The governor’s thanked the state governor for his commitment to assent to the act thereby giving the necessary impetus to curtail the menace of rape and other forms of gender based violence in the state.
NAN reports that with the passage of the VAPP, Gombe state has now joined the list of states in the federation where punitive actions are taken to forestall increasing violence against women.
The VAPP bill prohibits all forms of violence against persons in private and public life, and provides maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders. (NAN)
