Lawmaker Explains Passage Of Anti-Violence Bill

The Imo State House of Assembly says the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Bill is to ensure adequate protection for the residents against violent crimes.

The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Mrs Adaku Ihuoma (APGA-Ahiazu-Mbaise), gave the explanation during an interaction with journalists in Owerri on Tuesday.

“The VAPP bill recently passed and assented to not only has the provisions for the protection of the rights of women, but provide for the protection of the rights of men whose rights are violated. It is common to hear of violence happening in our society daily, that somebody was raped, or the right of another abused or even traditional harmful practises taking place in parts of our communities,’’ she said.

She said the inclusion of the rape of a man in a section of the law was because of emerging phenomenon where men were raped and some women beat up their husbands.

Ihuoma noted that the new law if enforced would check the emerging dimensions of violent crimes in the state.

On the alleged clamour that some sections of the law should be expunge, she explained that the issue of abortion as reflected in the law was to prevent the patronage of medical quacks and to check abortion-related deaths.

The lawmaker said that no official complaint had been received by the Assembly to expunge any part of the law.

She said that although no public hearing was organised before the passage, but the debates lasted for more than six months.

The legislator said anybody that had complaint against any section of the law, ought to have done so during the debates.

She urged people of the state to see the law as ‘a blessing rather than a course’, adding that the Assembly made history for being the first to pass such modern law in Nigeria.