Ekiti Government has proposed life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of rape in the state, the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports.
The Executive Bill is entitled: A Bill for a Law to Repeal the Ekiti Gender-Based Violence,(Prohibition) Law, 2011 and enact the Ekiti Gender-Based Violence, (Prohibition) Bill, 2019.
NAN reports that the bill was deliberated on by members of the Ekiti House of Assembly at Thursday’s plenary presided over by the Speaker, Mr Funminiyi Afuye.
Contributors during debate who included, the Speaker, Funminiyi Afuye, Mr Gboyega Aribisogan, the Majority Leader and Mrs Teju Okunyiga,(Gbonyin Constituency) lauded the initiatives.
They said the existing Law seems to be lenient by stipulating seven years in prison for violators, supporting a more stringent punishment for offenders.
Some of the contributors like Okunyiga, the deputy Speaker, Alhaji Hakeem Jamiu and Mrs Yemisi Ayokunle in addition to the life imprisonment, proposed castration of any adult who raped minors in Ekiti.
They called for the speedy passage of the new bill which was later committed to the House Committee on Health and Human Services as well as the Committee on Judiciary for legislative scrutiny.
In a bid to improve its health and sanitation status in Ekiti, a new bill to cater to the current challenges of environmental hazards was also debated on at plenary.
The bill entitled, a Bill for a Law to Repeal the Ekiti Environmental Health and Sanitation Law No 4 of 2004 and re-enact the Ekiti Environmental Health and Sanitation Bill, 2019 was also committed to Committee on Environment for a public hearing.
Another bill which was committed to the House Committee on Education, Science and Technology for further scrutiny and passage was ‘College of Education Ikere-Ekiti Bill, 2019’.
Also Ekiti, (Transition) Bill, 2019 which was committed to Committee on Governor’s Office and the Committee on Judiciary was aimed at enhancing smooth taking of governance from one outgoing governor to incoming one.
A Bill for a Law to Repeal Ekiti College of Health Sciences and Technology Law No 3 of 2010 and enact Ekiti College for Health Sciences and Technology Bill, 2019 was also committed to the appropriate committee for further legislative scrutiny.
The Assembly later adjourned plenary to Tuesday, Oct.,8. (NAN)
