After THE WHISTLER’s Report, Senator Olujimi Sponsors Bill For Women

Barely a week after THE WHISTLER reported how Nigerian female senators appeared to have lost interest in women issues, Senator Abiodun Olujimi has reintroduced the Gender and Equal Opportunity bill to the senate.

Olujimi, who represents Ekiti South senatorial district, had presented the bill before the 8th senate.

THE WHISTLER had reported how none of the 274 bills passed by the 8th Senate were women focused.

Our report showed that out of the eight female senators that make up the 9th Senate, none of them had sponsored bills that promote issues since June 11, 2019, when the ninth National Assembly was inaugurated. 

The women in the 9th Senate are Senators Oluremi Tinubu, Abiodun Olujimi, Uche Ukwunife, Betty Apiafi, and Rose Oko.

Others are Senators Stella Oduah, Aishatu Ahmed Dahiru, and Okon Eyakenyi.

The Gender and Equal Opportunity bill, which seeks to promote equal opportunities, prohibition of violence against women, among others, failed to scale through second reading after it was massively opposed by male senators in the 8th senate.

Senator Olujimi decided to reintroduce the bill following the motions moved by Senator George Sekibo on public electoral violence in Nigeria, and Senator Betty Apiafi  on the international day for the elimination of violence against women.

The motions received contributions from some senators who condemned the violence record the in the recently concluded Kogi and Bayelsa elections, as well as the killing of Salome Acheju, who was the women leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the Kogi election.

“I rise to second this motion. We are battling so many things, the violence against women is a major problem in our country. The time has come for Nigeria to take a serious stance against violence and rape especially during elections,” said Senator Olujimi.

“I know going forward Nigeria needs to sit together and do something about violence especially violence against women,” she said.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe said, “We join them to condemn this electoral violence. People have been known to create violence and nothing has been done. What we should add is that the law enforcement agencies must be up to task.”