Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has declared that his administration will criminalise any act of rape in the state to serve as a deterrent to rapists, just as he commended the state House of Assembly for the passage of Violence Against Persons Prohibition bill.
The governor stated these while receiving a delegation of National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) on a courtesy visit at the Government House, Bauchi.
According to the governor, the issue of rape is a societal menace that is now on the front burner, which he declared as shameful.
He attributed poverty, frustration, among others to the recent upsurge of the menace in the society.
“Rape issue is a burning issue now and of course, we are all ashamed that it is coming up, but this is a social menace.
“It is something that has to do with poverty, frustration, decadence and decay in our social set-up.
“Our value system has been threatened by those demonic instincts that have been subdued in the past, but today they are rearing their ugly heads,” the governor stated.
While informing the delegation of the passage of the domestication of Violence against Persons Prohibition Act bill by the state Assembly, Governor Mohammed said he is waiting to be presented with the bill for him to assent it.
“The legislation the Bauchi State House of Assembly has done is a welcome development and I am waiting so that we can see areas where issues raised by the Child Right Act can be adequately addressed by this legislation.
“The Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill has been promulgated by the state House of Assembly and I will happily sign it into law,” he said.
Governor Mohammed told the delegation that his administration has since assumption of office last year reduced the menace of out of school children in the state.
This, he said, was done by building and renovating more than 1,000 classrooms within the first year in office.
Speaking earlier, the State Coordinator of National Council of Women Societies, Justice Shafa’atu Ladan Yusuf, commended the Bauchi State Assembly for passing the VAPP Bill into law.
She further urged the state government to domesticate the Child Right Act in the state.
