The Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe has commended Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state and his Ekiti state counterpart, Kayode Fayemi for taking steps to curb the rising cases of rape and gender-based violence. Runsewe who made the commendation in Abuja said that the current rise in cases of rape and gender-based violence in Nigeria is worrisome, adding that it is fast becoming another form of pandemic. The NCAC boss who blamed the moral decadence on the deterioration of the nation’s cultural values stated that steps need to be urgently taken to put the country on the path of morality.
Runsewe said that he was encouraged that NCAC has partners in eminent Nigerians like El-Rufai and Fayemi in the efforts to revive the nation’s cultural values. He lamented that many Nigerian youths and even adults now indulge in ungodly behaviours like rape, violation of children, transgenderism, homosexualism and many more.
The NCAC DG stressed that it is cruel and abominable for a man to rape a three month old baby or for a father to rape, impregnate and carry out abortion on his biological daughter three consecutive times. He said that these evil acts are now also carried out by some religious leaders and in institutions of learning where values and morals are expected to be inculcated in youths. He noted that the stand of Governor Fayemi to deny culprits of rape the prerogative of mercy, plea bargain and bail will go a long way in checking the menace of rape. He described as commendable, the determination of the governor to take the campaign to the Governors’ Forum for adoption by all governors. He lauded Governor El-Rufai for enacting a law that provides life imprisonment for anyone who is convicted of rape of a minor and 21 years for rape of an adult.