Kaduna Assembly’s Speaker Shagali eulogises CSOs, media over support …. As GAT excited over adoption of VAPP Bill by Assembly
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Speaker, Kaduna State House of Assembly, Right Hon Aminu Abdullahi Shagali, on Friday eulogised Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and media working around good governance in the state for their support since the current assembly was inaugurated on June 8, 2015.
This is even as the speaker announced the first reading of Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) bill which is a private bill sponsored by member representing Kagarko constituency in the state assembly, Hon Nuhu Goro Shadalafiya
VAPP Act, developed to address continuous issues of violence against persons in Nigeria where anyone found culpable upon conviction will be punished to serve as deterrence and correction, was passed at the national level in 2015 towards the tail end of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. The bill seek reduction of violence against any individual in the state.
The Speaker noted that, the state assembly has been able to make tremendous progress in its legislative responsibilities evident in number of bills passed and effective oversight function due to overwhelming support it got from CSOs and media in the state.
He however seek more collaboration as the house begins another session of legislative work on Friday.
Speaking with newsmen on the importance of the first reading of the VAAP bill, Chairman, information and Home Affairs, KSHA, Hon Shadalafia said, the leadership of the Assembly is interested in the bill, presented it to the house on Friday which ordinarily shouldn’t have be.
To Shadalafia, “the common man will benefit from the bill if eventually passed into law in many ways. For example, it will give everyone the sense of belonging. Citizens will know their right are protected where it was not taken care of by penal code and other laws that exist in the state.
“Also, the issue of punitive measure that has to do with issue of payment of fine instead of serving jail term that will make people think before acting against anybody in the state.”
Elsewhere, Shadalafiya said, “the bill is coming as a private bill by the grace of God. I intend to drive and see to its logical conclusions. Once we commence plenary sittings, people will hear the first reading, the second reading and maybe the passage of the bill. We will work on it before the next legislative assembly.”
Expressing happiness as bill scaled through the first reading shortly after the session, Executive Director, Gender Awareness Trust (GAT), an NGO advocating for the passage of the bill, Dr. Lydia Umar said, the reading came to her as a shock because she couldn’t believe it would happen on the first day the members were meeting for the new session.
“I am so exited that the bill could successfully scale through first reading. This is because it was the first day of the new assembly session and it is also Friday. So, we want to thank the leadership and members of the house for this special attention giving to this important bill.
“We have been told that the second reading will be coming up by 10 am on Tuesday, June 26 this year and by the grace of God, we will be here to give them more support.
“What we are planning is to domesticate it here in Kaduna, one that is relevant to our situation here in Kaduna for that matter. Nobody can argue against the fact that violence is a crime that requires discipline. The survivors suffer in silence. We don’t want that to continue. We want a redress to issues and that is why we are pushing for it.”