Lawmakers Propose Four Years Imprisonment, N200,000 fine for Female Circumcision

•Okay N95.26bn FG’s power company’s 2022 budget

•Mulls inclusion of anti-corruption courses in primary, secondary education

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The House of Representatives at plenary yesterday, passed through the second reading a Bill for an Act to amend the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015 to increase the penalty for the offence of female genital mutilation.

The proposed legislation sponsored by Hon. Ganiyu Johnson specifically sought imprisonment of four years or a fine not exceeding N200,000.00 for any person who performs female genital mutilation or engages another to carry out such circumcision.

In his lead debate, Johnson said the amendment proposed to Section 6(2) of the Act was as follows: “6 (2) Any person who performs female circumcision or genital mutilation or engages another to carry out such circumcision or mutilation commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years or to a fine not exceeding one million naira or to both.”

He expressed optimism that an amendment of the said Section 6 would go a long was in deterring persons from engaging in the unwholesome practice of female genital mutilation.

“A UNICEF survey recently revealed that in Nigeria, one out of four girls and one out of ten boys suffers from sexual molestation and about one out of ten children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday.

“Among factors that encourage the commission of such unwholesome practices like female genital mutilation is lack of adequate sanctions. Female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision, excision or genital cutting, comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injuries to the genital organs for non-medical reasons, mostly carried out between infancy and age 15.

“The procedure has no health benefits for girls and women. Because it is usually performed without permission and often against will, it violates girls’ right to make important decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.

“Reports show that, 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone a form of genital mutilation (FGM). An additional 2 million girls could undergo female genital mutilation by 2030 as a result of Covid-19. It is for this reason that this Bill is proposed, to review the sanctions provided within the VAPP Act, so as to give it the required deterrence it deserves,” he said.

Also at the plenary, the lawmakers passed through second reading Bill for an Act to Amend the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017; and for Related Matters (HB.). The proposed legislation was sponsored by Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has approved a total sum of N95.26 billion budget for the Federal Government Power Company Limited for the 2022 financial year.

The approval which came barely 10 days to the end of the year, followed the adoption of the report of the House committee on power during its committee of the whole.

Out of total sum approved (N95.26 billion), N2.82 billion was for overhead costs, N867.80 billion goes for personnel cost and N91.56 billion for capital expenditure.

Laying the report, the Chairman of Power Committee, Hon. Magaji Da’u Aliyu asked the House to consider the report on the issue from the statutory revenue fund of the Federal Government Power Company Limited, the total Sum of N95, 261, 665, 187.00 only for total expenditure.

“Out which (this) the sum of N2, 823, 904, 716 only is for overhead costs while the sum of N867, 800, 471 only is for personnel costs. The sum of N91, 569, 960, 000 only is capital expenditure for the year ending 31 December 2022,” the report stated.

In the meantime, the House of Representatives has resolved to convene a meeting of stakeholders in education management and regulation sector to consider reviewing the primary and secondary school curricula to integrate anti-corruption awareness courses and programmes.

The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion on the need to introduce anti-corruption classes and training into the primary and junior secondary schools’ curricula to aid in the fight against corruption, sponsored by Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila Hon. Shehu Kakale, Musa Bagos and Hon. Aisha Dukku.

Moving the motion, Dukku noted that corruption was a scourge with devastating consequences on every facet of the Nigerian state, society and sectors of the economy.

She said the House was aware of the various anti-corruption efforts by successive governments that had not put an end to corruption in the country.

She opined that unless drastic measures were taken with utmost urgency, corruption threatens to destroy the fabric of the Nigerian society by continuously sabotaging our national sense of right and wrong beyond repair.

She said, “We also observed the increase of young people who are growing up in environments where casual subversions of rules and law through acts of private and public corruption have become the norm.

“Perceived that one reason the fight against corruption has not achieved the desired objectives in the country is the absence of a deliberate national strategy to engage citizens from the early stages of their lives to identify, challenge and defeat corrupt practices wherever they may exist or manifest.

 “Confident that this narrative can be changed within a relatively short time, through sustained efforts by government, civil society, religious organisations, and citizens working together to reprogram the way we think about the causes and consequences of corruption in our society.”

Adopting the motion, the House urged the Committees on Basic Education Services and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.