The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has called on its members to domesticate the Child Rights Act, updated Penal Code, and Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act. It explained that this was important to tackle the alarming rate of rape and other forms of sexual violence in various parts of the country.
This formed part of the resolutions reached at the 10th COVID-19 teleconference of members of the Forum which held on Wednesday. According to a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the governors resolved to declare a state of emergency on sexual and gender-based violence. They condemned violence against women and children and warned that offenders would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
The Forum stressed that the domestication of relevant gender-based protection laws would increase protection for women and children. It added that such a step would ensure speedy investigation and prosecution of perpetrators, in addition to creating a sex offenders’ register to name and shame the culprits. The meeting also deliberated on the public hearing on the proposed Control of Infectious Disease Bill, 2020 at the House of Representatives.
In their resolutions, the governors maintained that states should be conferred with the powers to declare any place within their territory an infected area.
