By Ignatius Okorocha
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has asked the Federal government to implement relevant laws to fight against the menace of rape and drug abuse.
According to him,”The country also needs to ensure severe punishment for rapists as the scourge “is worse than the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The speaker who was represented by Leader of the House Of Representatives, Hassan Adodogwa, said this in Abuja on Tuesday at an event on drug abuse and rape organized by the Christabel Initiative.
He noted that the problem of drug use and rape is quite prevalent in our society and we must rise to the fight.
“And the only way to do that is for all hands to be on deck. The media guys, most of us in the legislator, the executive, even the judiciary,” he noted.
He also explained that the country must ensure strict measures at dealing with the menace, stating that “we must take our laws seriously. Some of our laws are quite insensitive. They have not been able to spell out extant sanctions.”
The lawmaker asked for more strict penalties against rapists, adding that “given the kind of society we are in, there is no amount of punishment that would be too much for a rapist.
Rape is a calamity. It is worse than the he pandemic of the COVID-19 we are talking about.”
He also disclosed that “most of the relevant agencies that should fight this vices are underfunded.
Look at how other countries around the globe fight these vices and menaces. They are very coordinated. They are given a lot of resources.”
Fielding questions from journalists,The leader of the Green Chamber underlined the need for relevant government agencies to join hands in fighting the scourge.
“So it is now left to relevant organizations to come up to us with what they need especially now that they are defending their budgets.
“Where do they want us to help them.
We partner, we provide necessary resources for them to function effectively in the overall interest of Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, Programme Officer, UN Office on Drugs and Crimes, Folunsho Adelekan decried drug abuse prevalence in the country.
She revealed that Nigeria has a 40.3 percent drug use prevalence which she said is high when compared with a global rate of 5.3 percent.
The workshop blamed ongoing insecurities in parts of the country on drug abuse.
