Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and other stakeholders met on Wednesday over the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill, 2019 before the Oyo State House of Assembly, insideoyo.com.
The town hall meeting was organized by the House to allow relevant stakeholders to review and contribute their inputs to the bill before its passage into law by the House.
The bill which was sponsored by Honourable Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, the Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs and Community Development, when passed, will protect persons and put a stop to domestic violence and other forms of violences in the state.
While speaking, Hon Oladeji said there was the need for all to take a decisive action to mitigate all forms of violence in the society.
She condemned the increase in rate violence in the society and expressed hope that the bill, when passed to law will address the situation.
“In our society today, our relational experience leaves much to be desired, every strata encounter one form of violence or the other. Right from the basic unit of the society Le. the family, there is domestic violence. Other forms of violence are found in schools. work place, markets, sport centres, on the streets and what have you.
“The resultant effect of the recent END SARS protest still lingers in our memory. All these bitter experiences is a wind that does no one any good, hence the need for all of us to take decisive action to mitigate the situation.
Oladeji, the only female lawmaker in the 9th Assembly also gave an insight on why she sponsored the bill.
“The recent Increase In the rate of child abuse, kidnapping, rape, domestic violence, gangsterism, hooliganism etc gave me great concern, that is why I decided to sponsor this bill.
“As the saying goes where there is no law, there is no sin, hence when there are laws in place, people are well guided. Whoever flouts the law will definitely face the consequences and that will serve as deterrent to others.” she said.
Also speaking, the Country Representative of Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Mr Adebowale Olorunmola, who said Oyo State was considered for sponsorship of the bill, stressed that “The support for this bill was funded on the platform of ensuring that we have an inclusive society. It is done with funding from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. We observed that during the COVID-19 lockdown, there was a huge increase in the level of violence particularly against girls and we saw that there was demand from the citizens for situation to be addressed.
“We also saw that the Oyo State House of Assembly was very proactive in ensuring that they provide an enabling environment for the people by making provision in law for protection of persons in this light.
“We thought it was a laudable process that should receive support which came in not just for the purpose of passing a bill but for the purpose of ensuring that we have a bill that is without gap and that will contribute to the desired objective of the assembly, which is to protect particularly the vulnerable members of the society. We are talking of persons with disabilities, children and women. The Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill is actually designed to protect every citizen whether male or female in every area of life.”
Lawmakers present were Rt Hon Muhammad Abiodun Fadeyi, the Deputy Speaker; Hon Ayo Fatokun, Vice Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs and Community Development; Hon Abdulakeem Adedibu; Hon Abdulrasak Abdullahi, Hon Olamide Akinajo and others.
Other dignitaries were Mr Fatai Owoseni, Special Adviser on Security to Governor Seyi Makinde, Representative of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Representative of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Representative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs C. A. Abioye.
Some stakeholders at the meeting were Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Women Arise for Change Initiative, National Orientation Agency, Women Right Advancement Center, Women Helping Women Initiative, International Federation of Women Lawyers, Willing Hands Initiatives and others.
