Oyo State House of Assembly on Wednesday held a public hearing on Violence against Person (Prohibition) Bill (2019) sponsored by the lawmaker representing Ogbomoso North State Constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Olawumi Bimbo Oladeji.
The public hearing, which followed a stakeholders’ meeting in partnership with Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), is to seek professional inputs from across all divides in other to make the bill all inclusive when passed into law.
Participants at the public hearing include Nigerian Women Trust Fund from Abuja, Women Research and Documentary Centre from University of Ibadan, FIDA, NAWOJ, JDPC, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigerian Customs Service, Nigerian Police, NSCDC and Oyo State lawmakers among others.
The sponsor of the bill, Honourable Olawumi Bimbo Oladeji described the feat as another success to the credit of the Oyo State House of Assembly, stressing that when eventually passed into law, Violence against Person (Prohibition) Bill will take care of all forms of violence in the society, irrespective of gender involved. She added that the bill was necessary going by the rise in violence against persons in recent times.
Oladeji, who decried the high rate of domestic violence in homes, workplaces, schools and markets among others, recalled that similar law, (Violence against Women Bill) was passed during the 8th Assembly. She however said VAPP bill, which is more inclusive, was also born out of clamour by men who advocated that violence is not limited to any gender.
She said Westminster Foundation for Democracy came into partnership with the Oyo State House of Assembly to ensure full implementation of Violence against Persons Prohibition Bill when eventually passed, as part of the efforts to get dividends of democracy and good governance to the doorsteps of Oyo state residents.
Speaking to journalists during the Public Hearing, the coordinator of Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Mufliat Fijabi commended the state legislature, saying: “it is a good development and a good sign that democracy is working in Oyo State because the interest of the people have been taking into consideration to ensure that adequate laws are in place to protect the people and residents of Oyo State. And in addition, it is also a step in the right direction to ensure that Oyo State is one of the states in Nigeria that would have domesticated the national law on Violence against Persons Prohibition Act which means that there is progress being recorded to ensure that persons are protected from violence in whatever form”.
Also speaking on the bold step by the Oyo State House of Assembly on Violence against Person (Prohibition) Bill (2019), the country representative of Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Adebowale Olorunmola said the bill could not have come at a better time.
Olorunmola noted that the increase in spate of violence in the society during Covid-19 lockdown prompted Honourable Oladeji and Oyo State House of Assembly to expedite action on the bill. He said the bill, which is domestication of the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act of National Assembly (2015) is to strengthen the protection laws for the people of Oyo state, including women, men, youths and persons living with disabilities.
Speaking earlier, the Special Adviser to Oyo State Governor on Security Matters, Retired Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, called the attention of lawmakers at the public hearing to some sections of the bill, stressing that provisions should be made available for police to carry out their duties as stipulated in many sections of the law.
The Speaker, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, in his remark, said that such public hearing is part of legislative process aimed at bringing members of the public and relevant stakeholders into the exercise of lawmaking with a view to formulate laws that can best serve the people and make the state better place.
Vice chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Honourable Ayo Fatokun, while appreciating participants, said all the recommendations would be duly taken into consideration before the bill is finally passed into law.