Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker of the Federal House of Representatives and chairman of the Constitution Review Committtee, has said that the Parliament will vote on key Constitutional amendment bills, including the Special Seats Bill when it reconvenes from its current recess in October.
The National Assembly recently adjourned for its annual recess and is expected to resume plenary in September. Prior to the recess, the lower Chamber had reviewed several amendment bills focused on electoral reforms, judicial reforms, the devolution of powers, among others.
Speaking during a Roundtable Reception on the Reserved Seats For Women Bill organised by The Osasu Show (TOS) with support from the Switzerland Embassy in Abuja, Kalu stressed that gender inclusion in governance space is not driven by sentiments but current realities to deepen democracy in Nigeria.
He called on the women groups to massively reach out to all the relevant stakeholders and influential people in the country.
“As the sponsor of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, I want to make this abundantly clear: this bill is not born out of sentiment. It is born out of reason, out
of evidence, out of the stubborn facts of our current reality. It is rooted in the belief that justice delayed is democracy denied”, he said.
The deputy speaker, noted that Nigeria is a nation of over 220 million people, and nearly half (49.3%) of this population are women, but regretted that the number of women who sit at the table of power in this country is painfully low.
According to him, the current 10th National Assembly, only
19 out of 469 legislators are women ( 3.8%), noting that the House of Representatives has only 15 women out of 360, while the Senate has only 4 out of 109.
“Cross all 36 Dtates, we have not a single female governor. And in our State Houses of Assembly (out of 991 seats) only 45 are occupied by women. That’s a mere 4.5%.
“Keep the advocacy alive. Keep doing it, keep lobbying, there’s no time. We don’t have time. It’s our desire to vote on these constitutional review provisions once we are back from recess. That’s to show you there’s no time.
“The people you’re talking to must be people who have influence over those that will vote or the voters themselves. So tell your religious leaders, political big players, the wives of the parliamentarians and so on. The language of advocacy should change too. Appeal to them. Reach out to prominent women in this country. Let them come on board. Reach out to influencers, there’s no time. Barely 60 days remaining”, Kalu urged.
Revealing that the bill aligns with the legislative agenda of the House and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, Kalu also appealed to the political parties, the media and Nigerians in general to support the bill, adding that his office is always ready to give the needed technical insights.
