The Speaker Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon Suleiman Y. Abubakar has expressed the readiness of the Assembly to end the ugly trend of gender violence, sexual abuse and other forms of violation against women and girls in the state.
Suleiman made the declaration at a public hearing on the Violence Against Person Prohibition bill held on Thursday in Bauchi.
The Speaker during the hearing Organised by House Committee on Women Affairs and sponsored by Women Advocate Research and Documentation Center, WARDC and VAPP working Committee with funding by the African Women Development Fund and the kingdom of Netherlands, said ending violence against women and girls was in the best interest of the society.
He said that incidences of violence against the vulnerable in the society was growing in astronomical numbers, adding that extant laws are inadequate to deter the perpetrators of human degradation.
“As responsible representatives of the people, we have listened and heard the cries of the minors, parents and Guardians and leaders of our communities. Thus, the onus is on us to act fast in the interest of all concerned”
“To this end, it would be recalled that being conscious of the dangers of child molestation that is creeping in our society and part of my contribution towards curtailing the ugly trend, I have the honour of presenting this bill. “Our presence here despite the threat of the COVID 19 pandemic is a clear testimony of the importance and urgency of the task before us”, he said.
The Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs, Hon Wanzan Muhammad said that the bill which is the first of its kind in the state, has passed the first and second reading at the House of Assembly and will undergo the third reading after which it will be sent to the assembly for concurrence.
At the public hearing, some stakeholders raised concern on some clauses in the bill such as reviewing punishment for rape offenders, reviewing of existing laws on rape, genital mutilation, increasing options of fine on offenders amongst other burning issues.
Mrs Marry Ann Emmanuel of Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre says her organization will continue to wax more energy to end violence against women and girls.
