Osun Assembly To Pass VAPP, Disability Bill Before July- Speaker

The Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly RT, Hon. Timothy Owoeye has said that Bills on Violence Against Person’s Prohibition and disability bill in Osun will be passed before the end of June 2021.

The Speaker made this disclosure at the opening of a training of champions against gender based violence for women and girls with disabilities at Omilas hotel in Osogbo.

Owoeye stated that the 7th Assembly under his watch will act in consonance with the Violence Against Persons Prohibition and disability law passed by the National Assembly in 2015 and 2018.

He stressed that, when the laws are replicated in the state, spousal battery, forceful ejection from home, forced financial dependence or economic abuse among others will become punishable offences.

The Speaker called on well meaning organization and Non governmental organization to work in tandem with government institutions and authorities in putting effective measures in place for the full implementation and monitoring of these laws to ensure equal treatment and participation of people with disabilities and prohibit violence against person’s across Nigeria.

In his words, “Nigeria is a nation where it’s inhabitants are fast losing the morals of ‘love thy neighbor as thyself’, with that, it will be difficult to talk about empowering people with disabilities and social inclusion, at least from the moral angle.

“As a lawmaker, I will rather talk about it from the legal angle, what the law says, how it can be achieved and how we can marry your ideas with what the law says.

“To achieve genuine social inclusion, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition law and disability law are critical components of whatever framework we are to outline. Both laws have been assented to in Nigeria. While the VAPP bill was passed in 2015, the Disability Bill was passed in 2018.

“At the inception of this 7th Assembly, we took our time to formulate a legislative agenda to determine our core areas of intervention. Rising from the thrust of the 7th Assembly Legislative Agenda, I pledge that the VAPP bill which has already passed first reading and the disability bill which is about to be presented, will both be passed before the end of second session June 5 of this Assembly”. The Speaker emphasised.