Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who disclosed this in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Thursday, condemned the prevalent and rising incidence of rape and sexual assault in the country.

Malami said incidents of rape cases in the country have increased dramatically in the last few weeks, resulting in the brutal murder of some victims, to which the development has sparked outrage in Nigeria and abroad.

The minister noted the Federal Ministry of Justice has identified with calls for national response against rape and sexual assault in the country.

Malami said in fulfillment of the Ministry’s mandate and its determination to urgently address this heinous crime, his office “will immediately inaugurate an Inter-Ministerial Gender-Based Violence Management Committee”.

He said: “The committee will include skilled officers drawn from Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Federal Ministry of Health, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, National Human Rights Commission, Nigerian Legal Aid Council, Nigeria Police Force Civil Society Organisations, among others.”

The committee will be charged with proffering a synchronized approach to address all forms of violence against women and children in the country.

While addressing newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva revealed that the proposed CNG will cost between N95 to N97 per litre, adding that the CNG fuel has undergone a pilot project in Benin City where over 10,000 vehicles are already running on it.

Sylva also promised that the Petroleum Industry Bill(PIB) will be passed before May 29, 2020.

Speaking on one of the benefit of the CNG, Sylva noted that Nigerians will no longer experience fuel scarcity with CNG.

“What we have decided is that we should try and give the masses an alternative. This will move the masses to CNG.

“That is transport vehicles for example, out of the PMS loop to be using CNG. CNG cost less than the subsidized PMS. Per liter the subsidized rate of the PMS is N145 per litre. CNG will cost about N95 to N97 per litre,” he said.

National President of the union, Mr Usman Dutse, made the call at the opening ceremony of the 15th National Delegates Conference (NDC) of ASUP held at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro in Ogun.

Dutse recalled that the Act, which was signed by President Buhari in June, had not been fully implemented.

He noted that, “You can see how the Federal Government put pressure on us on IPPIS issue; if it is their interest, they will put pressure.

“Some Rectors had forced the union members to be enrolled in the scheme, but this act that will benefit the system and workers, has not been implemented.

“Now, there is a letter from the ministry, forwarded by NBTE, that some provisions of the act should not be implemented until next year.

“That is why we are asking, why the alteration? They altered other areas, and they said the council should remain till next year.

“We are not against the council being delayed till next year, but there are some council members that the act has removed.

“We want them to know that there is need for them to take action in that regard.”