How absence of 8 senators stalled gender equality bill
Lack of quorum occasioned by the absence of eight senators, including the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah and Senator James Manager on Friday stalled the public hearing on the Gender Equality Bill.
It was gathered that over 100 groups had stormed the Senate Hearing Room 231, venue of the public hearing, only for the Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator David Umaru, to announce the postponement of the public hearing.
The bill tagged United Nations Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women was rejected in March, this year, but it was re-presented by its sponsor, Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti South).
One of the contentious issues in the bill is inheritance. A copy of the draft obtained by our reporter specifically stated that women and men shall have the right to inherit, in equitable shares, their parents properties.
Addressing the stakeholders, Umaru announced the postponement of the hearing over lack of quorum.
Out of the 10-man committee, only Umaru and Joshua Lidani were in attendance. Members of the committee that were absent are the Vice Chairman, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senator James Manager, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, Senator Babajide Christopher Omoworare, Chukuwuka Utazi, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Suleiman Adokwe.
Umaru apologised to the stakeholders, saying a new date would be fixed for the exercise next week.
“We have a little problem today because we are not able to form a quorum. What actually delayed our coming was to see if we could get some of our members to join us today but unfortunately all of them are not here except Senator Lidani and myself.
“Except for our laws, we are tempted to actually take you but we don’t want to do what is illegal or wrong. The Senate operates on law and when we don’t form a quorum anything we do is illegal, “he said.
Umaru’s speech charged the atmosphere in hearing room as the stakeholders murmured and lamented the postponement.
Addressing newsmen, Executive Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC) Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, condemned the postponement, saying it showed that the committee had no regard for Nigerian women .
“The public hearing was advertised and people came from Maiduguri, Owerri, Lagos, Enugu, Benin and from several other places to attend this public hearing, only for the committee to postpone it, “she said.
In his reaction, a representative of the Council of Ulama in Kano State, Dr. Saheed Dukawa, described the postponement as unfortunate.
It was gathered that over 20 organizations have submitted their positions on the bill to the committee.