The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole,
has called for stiffer penalties for persons convicted of rape,
defilement and other forms of child abuse to serve as a deterrent to
others.
He also urged the people of the state to
stop
Oshiomhole, who spoke when he received
members of the state chapter of International Federation of Women
Lawyers who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, decried
the rising cases of the menace in the state and the country which he
described as “heinous crimes” that must be prosecuted diligently.
He
said, “We have discussed this, time and again at our Executive Council
meetings. And at a point, we asked the Attorney-General to review the
laws such that the number of years a convict gets will commensurate with
the severe nature of rape and defilement.
“We are concerned; we have discussed this
and we have a feeling that the number of reported cases are on the
increase. We also know that, because of the nature of our environment,
there will be several others that may not even be reported at all.
“When you look at the sheer number of
rape cases that are recorded, it is clear that across the country both
rape and defilement cases are increasing. Therefore, this calls for
tougher measures on the part of those strengthening the law and
providing for stiffer and harsher punishments than what is currently
obtained and to also ensure that the few cases that are reported are
properly prosecuted with a view to securing conviction.”
The governor, however, noted that the
state had recorded a high level of success in the fight against
kidnapping and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that kidnappers
were completely put out of business in the state.
He also said that the state government was taking steps to discourage street begging.
“I have directed the Commissioner for
Women Affair to take firm measures to bring this incidence to an end;
Edo cannot be a haven for beggars. We recognise the economic challenges
but begging is not and will not be the solution and exposing children to
begging is unhealthy.
“I will even appeal to Edo people not to
give alms to child beggars because it doesn’t help as women and their
fathers push these children to the street. They use them in the manner
they do, hoping they will attract pity. The more pity we show to those
kids, the more they are subjected to these dehumanising practices,”
Oshiomhole added.
Earlier, the Chairperson of FIDA, Mrs.
Stella Ojemen, said the organisation would continue to speak and protect
women and children who suffer humiliation due the the violence meted
out to them by the perpetrators.
Ojemen said, “Our duties are simple – to
ensure that women and children who are confronted with all kinds of
issues are protected. We are disturbed by the incidence of child labour
and trafficking of women in the state and with the plight of widows who
are being disturbed by the families of the husband.
“We are also worried about the
maltreatment of women and children in crisis zones and we are really
disturbed by all of these issues.”
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