Reps Listen To Aisha Buhari, Revisit 3 Rejected Pro-Women Bills

The House of Representatives has finally budged from its earlier rejection of pro-women bills that failed to secure majority votes for the amendment made to the 1999 Constitution.

The House of Reps, at its plenary on Tuesday, agreed to reconsider three out of five bills that were rejected by lawmakers during voting on the constitution amendment bills last week.

The bills to be reconsidered are those bordering on citizenship, indigeneship and the 35% affirmative action for women.

“The bills failed to secure the mandatory two-thirds votes to pass during voting on the proposed amendments to the constitution.

“The bills, by the leave of the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the House of Representatives, were re-committed to the Committee of the Whole for consideration on Tuesday.

“They will be considered by the House of Representatives in the next phase of voting on another set of bills for amendment in four week’s time,” read a series of tweets by the House on Tuesday.

THE WHISTLER reports that the lawmakers’ decision came days after the First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari, urged them to review their decision on the rejected gender bills.

“The recent decision by the National Assembly to ignore the long-standing clamour for Affirmative Action for Nigerian women was contrary to the very high expectations of forward-looking Nigerian men and women,” the statement reads.

“The anger of Nigerians in the circumstance is therefore understandable, more so that not a single concession was made to women, contrary to the global practice of give-and-take for which people’s parliaments are noted for.

“Notwithstanding this temporary setback, however, I, on behalf of the wife of the Vice President, HE Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, join the multitude of Nigerian men and women to thank relevant UN agencies, local and international Non-governmental organisations, faith-based groups, and all other stakeholders and individuals for their charitable support for fair representation by women in legislative houses, public governance, and management of political parties.

“I am of the opinion that our esteemed National Assembly can still review its decision and pray that our compatriots will deeply reflect on this political, but emotive matter.

“I call on both the Senate and the House of Representatives as Husbands, Fathers, Brothers and Grandfathers to revise and reconsider reversing their conclusions so that no group, especially mothers, wives, daughters, and partners who women are, would suffer discrimination, or be denied of opportunities to contribute to the process of nation-building,” the First Lady had said in a statement.