By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) on Thursday resolved to declare a state of emergency on sexual and gender-based violence against women and children.
The governors also restated their commitment to ensuring that offenders face the full wrath of the law.
In a communique signed by the Chairman of the NGF, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, after the forum’s 10th COVID-19 teleconference meeting held on Wednesday, the NGF reached an agreement to:
“Declare a State of Emergency on Sexual and Gender-based Violence. Governors strongly condemned all forms of violence against women and children and committed to ensuring that offenders face the maximum weight of the law;
“Call on State Governors that have not already domesticated relevant gender-based protection laws to domesticate the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, the Child Rights Act and the updated Penal Code to increase protection for women and children and ensure speedy investigation and prosecution of perpetrators in addition to creating a sex offenders register in each State to name and shame.”
Recall that in recent times, rampant cases of rape, violence against women and sexual abuses were reported which attracted wide condemnation and calls for death penalty against the perpetrators.