A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and government agencies have sought media support in its drive to create awareness on the provisions of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law in Cross River State, southern Nigeria.
A focal person with the Girls Power Initiative (GPI) and Safe-Guarding Against Violence and Exploitation (SAVE) Project anchor, Mrs. Margaret Udo, said that besides the VAPP Law in Cross River State, there was also a Sex Offenders Register as part of measures to end Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV).
Udo, who gave an overview of efforts made since 2020 to ensure that VAPP Act was passed in Cross River State, said “we need the media to understand the provisions of the VAPP Law and accurately inform the public. We also need the public to know that Cross River State now has a Sex Offenders Register and a committee to monitor the implementation of the law.
“GPI is anchoring the SAVE Project funded by the Commonwealth and Youth Alive Foundation Abuja, which is the reason we are driving the implementation of the law for the safety of society because it covers a lot of issues such as child abandonment, rape, spousal battery, emotional, verbal and psychological abuse and more,” she said.
Lending voices
At a panel discussion featuring representatives from the Cross River Ministry of Justice, the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and Child Protection Network (CPN), attention was drawn to the impediments obstructing the implementation of VAPP.
One of the panelist and chairperson of FIDA, Cross River State, Mrs. Ann Awah said, “FIDA has a voice and we have been actively engaging with stakeholders in government including the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice. We have not stopped advocacy and will continue to partner with stakeholders to get the information out there.
“We need the people to know that the law provides punishment for convicted offenders and fines as well. The law clearly defines a lot of things such as rape and what constitute violence. The law protects the survivors and victims rather than the perpetrator(s),” she stated.
Also, the representative of the Centre for Citizens Rights in the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Bassey Ofop hinted that the law spells out detailed functions of service providers such as the police, health officers and the courts in handling cases of survivors.
Ofop noted, “the VAPP law contains so many provisions, which a lot of people do not know about. It also defines the powers of service providers such as the police; it includes protection orders and most importantly the establishment of the Sex Offenders Register and outlining the gravity of offenders to be listed in the register. It also spells out punishment for child abandonment.”
Similarly, a representative from the Department of Public Prosecution in the Cross River Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Justina Ogban explained that the State so far lost some cases due to lack of diligent investigation and/or witness compromise.
She stated, “personally, I have lost some cases due to lack of diligent investigation. There are other factors, which frustrates the cases we prosecute and one factor is poverty of a witness. These witnesses -the survivor is a state witness – many times do not show up in court despite the police conducting a thorough investigation.
“In such cases, we cannot blame the police because the witness was enticed or induced with monetary compensation or gain to step back from duty as a witness. So, in that situation, we can only blame poverty as the factor that frustrates the prosecution as it were,” she explained.
Another panelist, the Coordinator of Child Protection Network (CPN), Mr. Kebe Ikpi noted that for the successful implementation of the VAPP Law, there was need for continuous education of the people on all aspects and provisions of the document.
Ikpi stated, “CSOs will continue to engage with government to ensure it fulfills its responsibility towards citizens so that in the long run, Cross River State will be better for it. We will also continue to educate the people on the existence of the law and hope they take advantage of it. The bottom line is to make the society safe, free of violence and conducive for all.”
