Osun Residents Demands Implementation Of VAAP/ACJ Laws

Yusuf Oketola

Residents of the State of Osun have charged the State Government to implement the Violence Against Persons Prohibition and Administration of Criminal Justice Laws respectively.

The concerned residents and some non-profit organisations in the state, during an awareness campaign at Orisumbare market in Osogbo, yesterday, said full implementation of the laws will curb incidents of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in the state.

A community leader in the state, Ezekiel Ejalonibu, said the implementation of the laws will better the lots of the society, warning the people to be wary of the acts.

The Chairperson of Nigerian Association of Women Journalists, State of Osun chapter, Motunrayo Ayegbayo, also warned residents not to claim ignorant of the laws.

The Executive Director of Community Advancement Initiative for Self Reliance (CAI4SR), Eni Ayeni, appealed to the state government to put mechanisms in place for the implementation of the laws without further delay.

According to Ayeni, the Sexual Gender Based Justice Network (SJN) in collaboration with Strengthen Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE), a USAID project, is partnering other groups in Osun to step up the campaign against Sexual and Gender Based Violence in the state.

At the flag-off of the campaign in Osogbo with hashtag #JUSTICE4SGBVSURVIVORS, Ayeni urged the state government to do the needful by ensuring full implementation of the laws.

According to her: “We are calling on stakeholders to call on the government to carry out the implementation of this law. It is one thing to domesticate a law, it is another thing to implement, we are calling on the government to do the implementation of this law.

“If the implementation is put in place, the survivors of SBGV would have a speedy justice delivery. Many people are not coming out to report cases because it takes a lot of time, several court proceedings before judgment would be served. But with this law in place, it will give room for shortness of proceedings.

“Previously, it takes like 5-10 years before court judgment would be delivered but with this law, it has given room for the shortness of that process. If the law is implemented, the survivors will get justice on time.

“This project started this year in Osun State. The VAPP law was passed in the state last year. The law is still fresh. So, the implementation should follow suit, that is why we are appealing to the government to implement the laws.”