Senate Directs Law Review for Stiffer Penalties – TheNigerialawyer

The Senate has passed some resolutions to review relevant laws
that will provide for stiffer sanctions for perpetrators of rape in
the country.

The decision of the Senate followed a motion of urgent public
importance sponsored by Senator Rose Oko (PDP-Cross River North)
titled “Rising incidence of rape of minors”.

The Senate also directed its committees on Judiciary, Police
Affairs, Women Affairs and Social Development, when reconstituted,
to interface with relevant stakeholders to strategise on the
implementation of all legislations and policies aimed at protecting
minors from rapists and other forms of violence.

The Senate also directed its committees to review relevant
legislations with a view to providing stiffer penalties against
sexual abuse of minors in the country.

It further urged the police and other law enforcement agencies
to conduct mandatory training for officers in dealing with rape
cases and young victims of abuse.

It also urged the judiciary to establish national sentencing
framework for child sexual abuse cases and judicial officers to
impose stiffer penalties on perpetrators of all forms of abuses
against minors.

The lawmakers further urged state governments to domesticate and
implement the Child Rights Act and Violence Against Persons
Prohibition Act 2015 to curb the issues of sexual abuse of
minors.

Furthermore, it urged the general public to continue to act as
watchdogs to curb child sexual abuse and other forms of violent
abuse.

Oko, who brought the motion through Orders 42 and 52 of the
Senate Rule, said the rising incidences of rape of infants and
minors in parts of the country are worrisome.

She said that six out of every 10 Nigerians were being raped on
daily basis.

The lawmaker noted the shocking rape story of a six-month-old
baby in Kano and other cases of students being raped by their
teachers and lecturers in the nation’s institutions were issues of
concern to the parliament.

She lamented that law enforcement agencies had not lived up to
their responsibilities in checking the increasing wave of rape in
the country.

She therefore called on the Senate to evolve ways of providing
stiffer measures to serve as deterrent to rapists.

Contributing, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC-Lagos Central) also
described rape of minors as extreme wickedness and called for
imposition of death sentence on offenders.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege
(APC-Delta Central), in his contribution, noted that the country
had sufficient laws on rape but lacked the will power to enforce
such laws.

He therefore called on the Red Chamber to review the existing
laws.

Senator Chukwuka Utazi (PDP-Enugu North) also observed that not
much was being done on sex education in the nation’s public and
private schools for the purpose of educating the children on steps
to take when they felt prey to rapists, urging for inclusion of sex
education in the education curriculum.

Senator Chimaroke Nnamani (PDP-Enugu East) said that rape
victims would suffer stigma by society and rejection by spouse.

He urged hospital authorities to have rape counselling units to
handle the victims. (NAN)

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President Buhari Seeks Approval of 15 Special
Advisers

President seek approval for appointment of Special Advisers
President Mohammadu Buhari today submitted to the Senate request
for the appointment of Special Advisers.

Citing section 151 of the constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria 1999 as amended which confers on him the power to
appoint Special Advisers to assist him in the performance of his
functions, the President requested the kind consideration of the
distinguished Senators to appoint 15 Special Advisers.

The request is expected to be read tomorrow at plenary.

Also today at plenary, the Senate President, Senator Ahmad
Lawan, hinted at the possibility of the President sending his
ministerial list to the Senate this week. He says the executive arm
of government was working round the clock towards ensuring that the
Senate gets the ministerial list before the end of the week.

Charles Akpan
Deputy Director
The Office of Senior Special Assistant to the President on National
Assembly Matters