The Kogi State Government has given an assurance that the Violence Against Persons(Prohibition) Bill passed by the State Assembly will soon be assented to by the Governor, Yahaya Bello.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kogi State, Ibrahim Sanni Mohammed (SAN) disclosed this while speaking during a Community Initiatives dialogue organised by Savannah Centre for Diplomacy Democracy and Development in partnership with USAID and Mercy Corps in Lokoja, the State capital on Thursday.
Speaking about the bill yet to be assented to 13 months after the state Assembly passed it, the Attorney General who was represented by Mary Otaru from the State Ministry of Justice said the long-awaited ascent, in a matter of weeks, will be realised.
Mohammed said the quick ascent to VAPP Bill will go a long way in ensuring credible, peaceful, free and fair elections come 2023 at both state and federal levels.
The Attorney General, however, commended the collaborative efforts of Savannah Center for Diplomacy Democracy and Development, USAID and Mercy Corps for championing the peace project in Kogi, describing the feat as “a welcome development that would bring about the needed unity, security and prevention of violence across Kogi”
“As a government, we also owe the responsibility of protecting the lives of our people from any form of violence. Am assuring this gathering that Kogi will soon join the comity of States that will sign this bill into law as we approach the 2023 general election” he added.
The Executive Director, Savannah Centre for Diplomacy Democracy and Development, Sani Bala in his address, said the dialogue is geared towards the promotion and fostering of enabling environment for peace to reign supreme in Nigeria.
“We need to do more in moving Kogi to achieve the desired result in the areas of peace, security of lives and property as well as infrastructural development across the state” Bala appealed.
DAILY POST recalls that the Kogi State House of Assembly in March 2021 passed the VAPP bill into law and is yet to be assented to by Governor Bello, 13 months after.
Kogi, Plateau, Kebbi, and Rivers are the four states in the country, yet to sign into law the Violence Against Persons(Prohibition) Bill.
