Sani Yerima, a Senator of the All Progressives Congress from Zamfara, on Tuesday rallied lawmakers to defeat a bill seeking equal rights for women, and an end gender discrimination.
Mr. Yerima, a known opponent of reforms seeking to promote women’s rights, argued that the Nigerian Constitution was clear on rights of citizens, including women.
The official title of the bill is: “A bill for an Act to Incorporate and enforce certain provisions of the United Nations Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, the Protocol of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the rights of women in Africa, and other matters connected therewith, 2016 (SB. 116)”.
The bill’s sponsor, Abiodun Olujimi, (PDP-Ekiti State), said the proposed legislation was aimed at promoting gender parity and empowering women politically and socio-economically.
Mrs. Olujimi said the proposed law sought equal opportunity, development advancement for all Nigerian citizens irrespective of gender.
She emphasized the bill would promote girls’ access to education, freedom for women to participate in any economic activity and their right to freedom from violence.
She also said the bill would ensure equal rights for women in matters of marriage, divorce and inheritance.
The bill was supported Senate Leader, Ali Ndume and Bala NaAllah (APC-Kebbi State), who both emphasized the need to protect widowhood and inheritance rights of women.
The deputy senate president, Ike Ekwweremaudu, Fatimat Raji-Rasaki (PDP-Ekiti State) and Binta Garba (APC-Adamawa State) also supported the bill.
Mr. Yerima said the proposed law was in breach of the Nigerian Constitution. He said the bill was also in conflict with the Sharia Law which is recognised by the Constitution.
Although the bill, which was scheduled for second reading Tuesday, received support from a few Senators, including males, it surprisingly failed to scale through when the senate president, Bukola Saraki, called for a vote.
After the bill was rejected, a visibly happy Mr. Yerima invited journalists, and expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
Apart from Mr. Yerima, Adamu Aliero (APC-Kebbi State) and Immanuel Bwacha (PDP-Taraba State) also strongly opposed the bill.
Like his Zamfara counterpart, Mr. Aliero’s argument was that citizens’ rights were already prescribed by the Constitution.
Mr. Bwacha said he was drawing perspectives from the Bible and history in opposing the bill.
The Senate’s rejection of the bill has drawn criticisms from Nigerians.
On Wednesday, the senate president, Mr. Saraki, assured the bill would be reintroduced after it must have been amended to address reservations that led to its rejection.
Meanwhile, ActionAid has urged women population to be resolute in the quest to achieve gender equality.
“Nigeria’s female citizens: young, old or in-between, easterner, northerner, southerner, westerner or in-between, Muslims, Christian or otherwise, rural, urban or peri-urban, rich, poor or neither, literate or not – let this rejection be our rallying cry,” the ActionAid Country Director, Ojobo Atuluku said in a statement.
“We have a responsibility to find a common space within which to pitch our voices and provide the source from which our women in public offices and their male allies can draw strength and rejuvenate themselves.”
Mrs. Ojikutu called for electronic voting in the National Assembly to enable Nigerians know the choices made by their representatives. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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The north is a different world from the south and is holding the south from making progress on any thing. They are trying to go backwards and the south forwards. Split up now.
ReplyDeleteone fact remains clear; African and Nigeria in particular has ONE thing called VALUES which virtually no other continent has and i think we should PROTECT it with our LIVES.. rather than introducing western culture, even the bible is CLEAR about family norms and the moment you go contrary issues MUST erupts because that is CLEAR DISOBEDIENCE..
ReplyDeleteUNITED NATIONS tells us:- allow gays have their way and we will give u AIDS / allow women equal rights with men and we will give you AIDS etc
the question is WHY? are there trying to buy the only thing left for us
BECAUSE they lost theirs and thinks no one should have it..NIGERIA PLS KEEP YOUR VALUES AS PRECIOUS STONE else u loos it ALL
This should not surprise anyone. The Northern people are still living in d stone age. The main reason they are still not allowing their girl child to have good education and thereby making their women their doormats. Only time will tell but it will be too late for them
ReplyDeleteI am not saying they should not help women in any good way. But I have something important to say...God created different regions with different cultures and people. For human race to have real peace, we need to go back to his holy books. I live abroad and have become a better well informed person. Should any country especially in Africa decide to emulate europe or america in this way of living, there will be consequences. The divorce rate is quite higher in this part of the world. The reason being the bill they are planning to introduce in Nigeria. If passed, it's just a matter of time that we will begin to see the negative consequences. Women are good, but if some of them are given such opportunities, I don't think it will be a pleasant thing. Please do not misunderstand, what am saying here, I totally support women empowerment. Give them good education and teach them real words of God. A good virtuous woman is a great gift to any Nation on earth. But there should be limits and checks and balances. A friend of mine who is "God fearing person" said he gave his good wife some opportunities, and he realised practically that it was not the best thing. Because the woman that he respects and sincerely loves began to see herself differently. He lives abroad and cannot really complain. Here women own the country and they are very powerful. Most of them are bosses in their work places and they behave like men and rock boats with men. It's a different society on its own. The men don't also like it. But to a great extent, there are functional laws for checks and balances. Do we have or implement such vibrant and functional laws in Nigeria? We need to be careful and stop coping the foreigners. Even God did not create us in the same way. Thank you!
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