Your Excellency, Mrs. Mariam Shaibu, Wife of the Deputy Governor, Edo State, Mrs. Magdalene Ohenhen, Honourable Commissioner Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Development,The State APC Woman Leader, Wives of Members of Edo State house of Assembly, Members of NGOS here present, Market Women, Church organizations,
Gentlemen & Women of the Press, My beloved women of Edo State.
With great pains I, Betsy Obaseki, my husband, the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Noghehase Obaseki, the Government of Edo State under my husband’s watch in solidarity with the women of Edo State, women all over the world and the entire human race collectively condemn and denounce the assault, trial by ordeal, inhuman and degrading treatment meted out on one of our daughters. I am sure you are all aware of the widely circulated video in which one of our daughters was tortured, stripped naked with pepper inserted into her private part and the video posted on the internet for the whole world to see.
This act has been widely described by Nigerians and non -Nigerians as barbaric, cruel, evil, wicked, satanic and most degrading. This is a crime against women, the world over. It is indeed a crime that shocks the human conscience and cannot be tolerated by the people and Government of Edo State.
In one voice we rise to say;
No to violence against women!
No to inhuman and degrading treatment of women!
No to trial by ordeal of women!
We demand justice and justice we must get.
The victim could have been anybody. The women of Edo State reject this evil act. The Edo State Government under my husband totally condemns this evil and barbaric act. We women of Edo State in solidarity with NGOs,Christians and Muslims denounce this abominable act. We condemn this trial by ordeal and the posting of nude pictures and videos of any woman on social or any media. It is an abuse of womanhood and the human community. Never again should anyone torture women and post their nude pictures on social media. Enough is enough.
To deal with this shameful incident, the Governor has directed the security agents and the justice system to properly investigate, prosecute and bring the perpetrators of this shameful act to speedy justice. Arrests have been made and necessary legal action is underway to ensure justice for the victim, for women and the entire human race.
You will recall that exactly a year ago, for the second time, I and my women were at the Edo State House of Assembly to appeal to the Speaker and honourable members of the State house of Assembly to pass the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill into law in Edo State, I am glad to announce to the women of Edo State and the entire community that this beautiful piece of legislation has been passed by our State house of Assembly for the benefit of our children, women, men and the entire community.
On behalf of all the women, children, men, the justice sector and the entire people of Edo State, I wish to express our profound gratitude to the following;
My husband, the Governor of Edo State,Rt. Honourable Kabiru Adjoto, Speaker Edo State House of Assembly,
Rt. Honourable (Dr.) Justin Okonoboh, Honourale Roland Asoro, Majority Leader, Edo State House of Assembly,
Rt. Honourable Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie and other honourable members of the Edo State House of Assembly, The Clerk of the house,Principal Officers of the State House of Assembly, International Federation of Women Lawyers, (FIDA) Edo, State chapter, Mrs. Maria Omozele Edeko, the immediate past FIDA Chairperson for the passion and dogged commitment to the passage of this bill,
Wives of Members of the Edo State house of Assembly,
Members of other NGOS and the press for their contribution in one way or the other to the passage of this bill. We are grateful for this uncommon achievement.
This bill couldn’t have come at a better time! We anxiously await the assent of His Excellency, the Governor, a gender friendly Governor who himself has been anxious about the passing of this bill.
The Violence against Persons (Prohibition) bill popularly known as The VAAP bill eliminates violence in private and public life. The content of the Act is rich in its provisions as it covers most of the prevalent forms of violence in Nigeria today, ranging from physical violence; psychological violence; sexual violence; harmful traditional practices; and socio-economic violence. It punishes offenders and provides effective remedies for victims.
This Act is a response to current challenges of the people. The Act punishes a wide range of offences: Rape, gang rape – which is common amongst young people these days, inflicting physical injury on a person, forceful ejection from home, forced financial dependence or economic abuse, forced isolation or separation from family and friends. Emotional, verbal and psychological abuse, abandonment of spouse, children and other dependents without sustenance, spousal/partner battery, indecent exposure.
Other innovations in this Act includes the prohibition and punishment for stalking, substance attack (The Act stipulates that a person who uses chemical, biological or any other harmful liquid on another commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of life imprisonment without an option of fine). It criminalizes incestuous conducts, protection order for victims and persons under threat of violence, causing mischief or destruction of property with intent to cause distress is also an offence.
It further stipulates that a person commits an offence if he intentionally administers a substance to, or causes a substance to be administered to or taken by another person with the intention of stupefying or overpowering that person so as to enable any person to engage in a sexual activity with that person.
Today, we observe with great pains that our children are involved in the use of hard drugs & the vices associated with drugs. We need this law to curb these excesses and save our children and the nation. It provides for a register for convicted sexual offenders, which shall be maintained and made accessible to the public.
My beloved women of Edo State, gentle men and women of the press, I thank you for listening to me and for your great sacrifice for our community. God bless you all, God bless Edo State- the heartbeat of the nation and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
SUMMARY OF CRIMES PUNISHED UNDER THE VAPP BILL
Rape, spousal battery, forceful ejection from home, forced financial dependence or economic abuse, harmful widowhood practices, female circumcision or genital mutilation, abandonment of children, harmful traditional practices, harmful substance attacks such as acid baths, political violence, forced isolation and separation from family and friends, depriving persons of their liberty, incest, indecent exposure and violence by State actors (especially Government security forces) among others are punishable offences.
