His Excellency Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu LL.M,, UNN
Yesterday I was at a
conference call with Gender Icon Iyom (Barrister) Josephine Anenih former
Minister of Women Affairs, we deliberated on concerns for inclusive clauses often
seen in modern day Constitution, to reflect
same in the ongoing exercise for the amendment of the Nigerian
Constitution. She confirmed legislative advocacy visit to your exalted office
this week whereat she met with your Excellency and with some of your distinguished
Senators to whom she made presentations as follows:
1)
To have a clause admitting of a female senator for every 2 in each senatorial
district plus a similar provision for the house of reps such that women would
have 30-35% representation in parliament against the sore state of 8% presently
in parliament.
2)
Inscribe affirmative action
clause in the proposed amendment for cabinet such that a minimum of 35% is
achieved for women.
My learned Lady Jo Anenih who
is also your learned colleague has yet
received approval to these gender proposals of concern to us, hence I write to underscore the need for fair representation.
Sir, kindly do not pass the
constitutional amendments with nil clause for gender. Not a few members of Nigeria’s gender unit
stood up to fight in the early days of campaigns for Senate to elect its
officers, and at great risks to our lives and limbs, an assignment undertaken
of our own volition. As it turned out the Senate President and Deputy
SP triumphed in line with section 50 of the CFRN that Legislators must elect
its own officers from “amongst themselves”.
Impressions that Senate
President Saraki is somewhat anti-gender does not advance the cause. You know
his late Dad wanted his Kid Sister to be Governor Kwara State and SP was said
to have blocked it. His Excellency the Senate President is a man of the present
generation one of the most educated politicians in Nigeria with a pedigree, was his late Dad a former Leader of the Senate
not obviously pro-gender he wanted his Daughter Ms Gbemi Saraki to win so should
SP ostensibly promote the affirmative action.
We look forward to the
language of inclusivity in the amendment Sir.
Respectfully,
Attorney C N Ajie
Constitutional and Human Rights Law
LL.B(Hons) Benin;
B.L(Lagos); MCIArb(UK); LL.M Georgetown, Washington DC
Fellow, Leadership
and Advocacy for Women in Africa (LAWA) 2010
Vital Voices Lead
Fellow 2013
IBA Human Rights
Working Group Africa Regional Officer 2014-2016
UN Women Global
Champion for Change 2016-2017
