A non profit organisation, Alliances for Africa (AFA) has made some recommendations to the Imo state government for the full enforcement and implementation of the VAPP bill recently signed into law by the state Government.
Speaking during a press briefing held in Owerri, the Executive Director, Alliances for Africa, Mrs. Iheoma Obibi disclosed that the NGO is elated by the step taken by the Imo state government to domesticate the bill in the state. She maintained that they will continue to fulfill its mandate of protecting human rights, promote women’s participation in leadership and governance while advocating against gender based violence especially on women and girls.
AFA urged the government to create and allocate budget towards the full implementation of the VAPP bill and to establish the violence against persons agency led by an active multi sectoral action committee that will monitor and supervise the full enforcement of the provisions of the VAPP bill, including a sexual assault referral centre (SARC) that will render services to aid the reintegration of survivors into the society.
It talked about leveraging on the existing initialised, state structure and to establish a shelter for safeguarding survivors from abusers and to create an active state GBV rapid response team that will see to the provisions of immediate survivor central services.
According to the statement “The VAPP if fully implemented will address all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual violence, domestic violence, physical violence, emotional violence and harmful cultural practices perpetrated by state and non state actors while providing a full legal protection, adequate remedies and maximum punishment for offenders”.
It disclosed further that the act will ensure accountability on its stakeholders when fully enforced including implementing an agency, other Ministries, Department and Agencies, law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations and citizens.
The NGO further appreciated the efforts of their various partners, Education as Vaccine (EAV), The United Nations Trust fund on Ending violence Against Women (UNTF-EVAWG) and others for their efforts towards the passage and assent of the Imo state VAPP bill.
It also lauded the executive Governor of Imo state Senator Hope Uzodinma and his wife Barr. Mrs. Chioma Uzodinma as well as the house member representing Njaba state constituency and the chief sponsor of the bill Amb. Uju Onwudiwe and the civil society organisations for seeing to the passage and assent of the bill.
