The Rivers State House of Assembly Wednesday passed into law the State Child Rights Bill 2009 with the lawmakers overwhelmingly voting 14 years imprisonment for child rapists without option of fine.

The bill sponsored by the Wife of the State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi sought for a law to protect the rights of every child in the state and thus listed the state as one that is proactive having articulated and passed necessary enactment in protection of child rights, after the United Nations Convention.

Speaking during the debate on the committee’s report on the bill, Hon Charles Nwile representing Khana Constituency I argued that the life imprisonment for child rapists as recommended by the committee was very harsh and suggested that 14 years should be given as punishment to the violators.

According to him, the life imprisonment for such crime does not give room for correction and reproof and urged his colleagues to look at the committee’s report with a view to passing the bill into law.

Also contributing, Hon. Lloyd Chidi (Emohua) and Ngozi Chioma (Etche II) suggested that the law should be in consonance with the state criminal code adding that 14 years is appropriate as a legal punishment for child rapists in the state.

The lawmakers were also of the opinion that a provision for N100,000 fine should be made in the law as punishment to parents and guardians who deny any child in their care the right to education.

Earlier, the chairman, House Committee on Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Pilgrims Board, State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) and Budget, Hon Ogbonda Jones while presenting the committees report reminded his colleagues that participants at the one day public hearing argued that life imprisonment was okay for child rapists.

According to him, the life imprisonment imposed as a sanction for rapists by the committee would not be equated with the trauma and hardships children go through when they are raped.

The lawmaker further stated that the committee also put into consideration the cultural and traditional practice of the state during their meetings adding that the law when it becomes operational would do the state more good especially in moulding the future of children in the state.

In his ruling the Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tonye Harry who presided over the sitting thanked the lawmakers for their contributions that gave rise to the passage of the bill into law.

Rt Hon Harry stated that by the passage of the bill into law, the state is now set to benefit from the United Nations Children Funds adding that the state had in the past been denied benefits accruing to it due to non passage of the law.