A proposal was put before the National Conference
in Abuja on Monday that randy old men who delight in raping female minors be
castrated to serve as deterrent to other predators.
An Ondo State delegate, Yemi Mahmud-Fasominu, who
made the suggestion, wants the conference to address growing injustice against
women and children as well as the need to constitute special courts to try such
cases.
Mahmud-Fasominu’s contribution at Monday’s plenary
was part of continuing debate by delegates on the President Goodluck Jonathan’s
inaugural speech.
She also believes that if Nigeria must forge ahead
as an entity, it must first deal with the issue of mutual distrust and greed
among the political class.
“I discover that in Nigeria, the issue of violence
against women and rape has become so rampant; this is an opportunity to talk
about it.
“There is the need for us to have a special court
where cases of violence against women and rape will be addressed.
“We have cases of 72-year-old men raping toddlers;
this is abnormal and this issue should be addressed, unfortunately some of the
issues cannot come up in the conventional court because of fear of molestation,
that is why it is necessary for us to have special court.
“So that men who are the perpetrators can be
brought to book and I suggest that this case should be pushed by this
conference so that we can give it a voice of law in the Constitution, that such
men should be brought to book, if possible castrated,” Mahmud-Fasominu
submitted.
Among other key issues some of the delegates want
the conference to concentrate on when they break into committee meetings are
the need to address rampant loss of human lives in parts of the country, owing
to insecurity.
They also talked on the need for rapid
industrialisation, curtailing the menace of unemployment and frequent cases of
sexual abuse, especially raping of minors.
No sooner had the plenary session began than,
Haliru Mohammed, delegate representing the elder statesmen drew attention to
the recent kidnap of Edwin Clark’s son.
He urged the conference leadership to send
emissaries to felicitate with Clark over his son’s release.
Clark is also a delegate to the conference on the
elder statesmen list.
Haliru, who was a former Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) Acting National Chairman and former Defence Minister, also expressed the
need for government to bring daily killings of human lives and kidnapping under
control.
“We have enough problems with by-lines in all parts
of the country, in Zamfara during this weekend, about 120 people were massacred
in one village.
“These incidences, the conference of course will
come to a point where we will discuss the security issues.
“I want to appeal to government at all levels and
security agencies to do something urgent and drastic to address this loss of
lives which has become persistent in this country,” he said.
Source: Daily Independent
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