By Stephen Adeleye.
Some critical stakeholders in Kogi, have been trained to build their capacity on awareness creation and implementation of the Kogi State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law (VAPP) 2022.
The training workshop was organised by Participation For Behavioural Change In Development (PIBCID) and Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) in collaboration with Kogi State office of the Public Defender and Citizens’ Rights Commission (PDCRC).
In her remarks, the Executive Director of PIBCID, Rachael Akande, said the VAPP law was enacted as a result of many prevailing gender-based violence (GBV) and human right abuse happening in Kogi.
According to her, the main thrust of the law is to eliminate violence in private and public life, prohibit all forms of violence against persons, such as rape, maiming of spouse, forceful ejection from home, forced isolation, acid bath, and killing, among others.
She stressed that the VAPP law was meant to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders and other related matters.
Akande noted that the VAPP law was domesticated in Kogi in June 2022, but decried the low level of awareness by the general public.
She stressed the need to sensitise and train the critical stakeholders to create awareness and its effective implementation to curb GBV in the state.
“The level of awareness of the provisions of VAPP Law 2022 in Kogi, is still very low compared to what we expect. We want more people to know about the law and take advantage of its provisions.
“This capacity building training is to create more awareness and involvement of relevant stakeholders that would champion the fight against gender based violence in Kogi,” Akande said.
She, therefore urged the participants to step down the training in their various organisations and increase the awareness campaign at the grassroots across the state.
She called for provision of adequate funding for government’s relevant agencies and critical stakeholders, stressing that the issue of GBV is everybody’s responsibility.
Also speaking, the Director General of Kogi PDCRC, Barr. Musa Idris, said the Kogi State VAPP Law was enacted in June 2022 and domiciled with Commission.
Idris said the PDCRC had successfully handled several cases including domestic violence, rape, resolved several family issues as well as other cases, free of charge.
He noted that offences such as rape that attracted a penalty of 40 years imprisonment under the Penal code, now attracted a life imprisonment under the Kogi State VAPP Law, 2022.
Idris emphasised that the capacity building training was part of the commission’s effort to sensitising the populace about the provisions of the Kogi State VAPP Law 2022.
The Resource persons at the training spoke on several topics, such as “Appraisal of the Provisions of Kogi State VAPP Law, 2022”, and “Overview of Offences and Punishment”.
Others included: “the Roles of Protection officers in the implementation of the VAPP law”, as well as “Roles of critical stakeholders under the Kogi stare VAPP Law, 2022”.
The Chief Executive Officer of Challeged Parenthood Network Initiative (CPI), Eunice Agbogun, said that the successful implementation of the VAPP Law in Kogi demanded a collaborative effort from all stakeholders.
“By working fogether, these entities can create a system that empowers victims, strengthens the justice system, and ultimately fosters a safer environment for all citizens in Kogi State,” Agbogun said.
