As a measure to stem cases of violence against persons particularly women and other vulnerable groups in the Northern part of the country following the increase in the number of cases of rape in the region, speakers of the 19 states of Northern Nigeria have resolved to domesticate the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in their respective states.
This development follows the briefing on the recent domestication of the (violence against persons) VAPP law in Bauchi State by the speaker of Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Y Suleiman, at the Northern Speakers Conference which took place in Kaduna over the weekend.
In a communiqué signed by the speaker of Gombe State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Abubakar Sadiq Ibrahim who is the chairman, Communiqué Committee of the Conference, the speakers said that they resolved to domesticate the VAPP Act in all Northern states with cognisance to the administration of criminal justice.
According to the communiqué made available to newsmen in Bauchi by Abdul Ahmad Burra, spokesperson to the Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, said the speakers also expressed concern on the insecurity bedevilling the Northern part of the country calling on the government to step up security measures to stop the carnage.
The communiqué further stated that “While commending the efforts of Mr President, state governors and security agencies, we appeal to the Federal Government to redouble its efforts in curbing the insecurity in northern Nigeria as security of lives and property is our primary objective.”
On the COVID-19 pandemic, the speakers agreed that it is real and appreciate Federal and state governments efforts for preventing and containing the widespread of the deadly virus.
While appealing to the Federal Government to provide more testing kits to all states and local governments of the country, the forum called on all State Houses of Assembly to continue to observe all the NCDC’s preventive protocols to fight the disease.
The speakers who commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the Executive Order 10 for financial autonomy to state legislatures and judiciary which they described as timely also commended the Federal Government’s N-power scheme and other related programmes aimed to empower youths and alleviate poverty.
The communiqué further explained that the speakers unanimously resolved to work in conformity with the legislative agenda provided by each assembly for the year 2019-2023.
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