The National Association of Women Journalists, Osun state has implored the government and other concerned agents to execute laws against abuse of person's, like Violence Against Person Prohibition (VAPP) Law, Child Protection Law etc. to ensure a society free of gender based violence and any other violence.
In a lecture held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 by the Union tagged "Legislative Stewardship and Good Governance (Appraisal of Women, children and Persons With Disability Friendly Related Bills/Laws in Osun", the union noted that research carried out has revealed the extent to which women, children and people with disability and other vulnerables are always victimized with raping, assault, explaining the need to take action.
While presenting the speech, the chairperson of NUJ, Motunrayo Ayegbajo elucidated that it is quintessential as an agent of change to change the narratives, urging Journalists that coverage and enforcement of the laws against violence are important to barest zero challenges facing the women, children and people with disability.
Yuusuf Alli during his speech presentation
While giving his own remarks in the event, the Pro-chancellor of UNIOSUN, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Alli affirmed that the work lies in the hands of everyone, adding that religious, ethnicity and tribalism and corruption has hindered the enforcement of the laws and rules.
He said, "Laws are not properly implemented, imagine if they cannot properly implement traffic law, what happens to other laws. Laws dealing with children, women and people with disability are not properly implemented.
It's a function of so Many scenes, cultures, and attitudes. We can't be apportioning blame here, we are all concerned, the leaders and the led, educated and the uneducated, we are the same, our attitude makes it almost impossible to implement the laws and rules. We can change by making up our minds, the greatest problem of our country is ourselves . The day Nigerians make up their minds that they don't want the kind of leaders and what they do, the narrative will change. But because we condone it because of ethnicity, religious bigotry, tribalism"
Speaking further, he explained that the media have great roles to play in ensuring the society is free of corruption, stating that they should exercise their powers.
"These are part of the problems. If I am Yoruba man and you are Igbo man and I accuse you of doing something wrong, people will not look at the merit of it, they will just say I'm attacking an Igbo man. If you are a Muslim and you attack a Christian of doing something wrong, they will say it's because of religion. Nigeria is the only country I know that corruption has colour, tribe and religion, and what do I mean, as a person if I say someone is corrupt, nobody believe, you people have a lot of roles to play because you are the modifiers, you are so strong, you are so powerful but you are not exercising that power with due respect.
Yusuf Alli added that the government can only pass law, it is the role of the law enforcement agents to implement it.
"The state cannot do more than passing a law tbey can not enforce it on their own, there is Division of labour, when the laws are made it's for those that will enforce it to do so. The House of Assembly cannot go to borders , we need others to do that"
Barrister Chief Yemisi Akintajuwa
Also, Barrister Chief Yemisi Akintajuwa in her speech during the occasion explained that any act of violence should not be treated with levity, adding that family members can also be prosecuted under the law if they abuse their relatives.
She said, "There is a law under the constitution that also stipulated that if any of the family of the victims plead on behalf of their family to release the perpetrator, the person should also be jailed"