In Imo, Uzodimma assents to VAP Act

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo state Wednesday signed into law the once controversial Violence Against Persons (VAP)Prohibition Act in the presence of his wife, Mrs Chioma Uzodimma who has championed the enactment of the law in the fight against sexual and gender-based violence in the state.

Our correspondent gathered that the act, seen as an improvement on the penal and criminal code in relation to violence, seeks to eliminate violence in private and public lives, prohibit all forms of violence including physical, sexual, psychological, domestic, harmful traditional practices, discrimination against persons and provide maximum protection and effect remedies for victims and punishment for offenders.

Having been assented to by the governor, the act has become a Law of Imo state and as such, enforceable on offenders.

Wife of the governor, Chioma, through the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Vulnerable Groups, hopes to tackle and eliminate to the barest minimum all sorts of violence against humanity via the act.