Group calls for the Amendment of the VAPP Act

The provision in Section 47 of the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act, 2015 that enables the application of the Act only to the Federal Capital Territory should be amended by the 9th National Assembly for its effective implementation in all states of federation.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Abuja, Ifubaraboye Dim-Oba, Executive Director of Reflector Reachout said the 9th National Assembly should take the bold initiative to make the amendment and other sections in the act a reality in the next couple of months for its effective implementation.

According Dim-Oba, the VAPP Act is about the people, and the national assembly as a representative of the people, must use any available opportunity to address issues affecting the people such as injustice, violence against vulnerable persons and deprivation of women and children as well as other legal issues, ought to be an optimal priority for the lawmakers.

The Executive Director explained that the act came into force in May 2015 and is expected to be domesticated in all the states of the federation within the last four years however lamented low responses from state governments and houses of assembly.

He said the VAPP Act is an act to eliminate violence in private and public life, prohibits all forms of violence against persons and to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders.

“Despite efforts by international and national organization to put pressure on the various Houses of assembly in the country to domesticate the act in their respective states; they appear reluctant and unconcern to do the needful”, he said.

He advocates that if the act is amendment and applicable in states, victims and litigants will use the provisions in the various Federal High Courts to seek legal readdress as there is high increase of violence daily in both private and public especially women and children.