The Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015 was again x-rayed in Abuja on 21st June 2021. The meeting was a hybrid one with participants in the hall at Treasure Suites & Conferences while others joined us via Zoom. Dr. Amina Salihu, Senior Programme Officer, McArthur Foundation set the tone with a comprehensive review of the proposed amendments to the document. Her submission elicited reviews from the audience.
Dorothy Njemanze, Founder, Dorothy Njemanze Foundation, mentioned the fact that the landmark judgement by the ECOWAS Court in 2017 in her favour against the Federal Government of Nigeria affirmed the violation of the Maputo Protocol. Dorothy and two others won N6m each, a total of N18m. None of the plaintiffs has received the said compensation for illegal detention and harassment by Security Agents to date.
See for example, https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/.../245936-ecowas-court-orders-nigerian-govt-pay-n18-million-women-maltreated. See also Dorothy Njemanze & 3 others vs FGN - Suit No: ECW/CCJ/APP/17/4; Judgement No: ECW/CCJ/JUD/08/17. See also ECOWAS Court awards N90m in damages to Nigeria Air Force woman for rape...https://www.premiumtimesng.com; https://thenigerianlawyer.com
Photo L-R: Ms. Ene Ede (VAPP Coordinator FCT), Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa, Charles Angelo (Director Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs - FMHAMSI) & Mrs. Bunmi Dipo-Salami (ED BAOBAB)
In my intervention, I urged the state governments apart from the 21 that have ratified/domesticated the Act to follow suite and do the same. Priscilla Usibiofo, a gender activist, was of the view that victim protection and the stigma attached to rape remain 'big' issues. For Ms.Ene Ede, VAPP Coordinator FCT, all hands must be on deck to stem the tide of violence against persons in the country.
I believe that continuous refining of the contents of the VAPP Act in line with current realities, would lead us in a positive direction...
Related Links
*To break the cycle of violence, we must address the root causes, i.e. the reasons people fight https://lnkd.in/e8-K4jP
*VAPP Law: Bauchi government launches N3.7b costed action plan youtube.com
*The other pandemic: Rape & sexual violence in conflict youtube.com
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