Constitution Review: Senators May Not Consider Fresh Gender-based Bills

Sunday Aborisade

The Senate might have foreclosed a possible revisit of the gender-based bills it rejected recently while considering the report of its Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution.

An investigation carried out among some senators by THISDAY, yesterday, revealed that most of the male federal lawmakers were not favourably disposed to reopening the issue, which they described as a closed chapter.

Some of the senators spoke off-the-record to avoid any form of backlash from the womenfolk, many of whom had begun to protest against the issue at the National Assembly since the lawmakers threw out their bills.

One of the senators from the North Central confided in THISDAY on the condition of anonymity that the bills had died a natural death, saying they could only be re-presented, when the next National Assembly starts another round of constitution amendments.

He said: “The stage we are now is that the Senate and the House of Representatives would harmonise their positions on the 68 bills considered and send those ones that both chambers passed concurrently to the state Houses of Assembly.

“I heard that the House of Representatives said it would revisit the bills but I can assure you such action is not only ‘unparliamentary’, but an effort in futility.”

Another Senator from the Southeast geopolitical zone, who also craved anonymity, said the bills canvassed by the women would impose additional financial burden on Nigeria if passed.

His words: “Nigerians are protesting against the 460 membership of the National Assembly, yet, the gender-based bills are seeking creating additional seats for women.

“Apart from that, from which of the federal constituency would the additional seats be created. Is it from the North, South, East, West or Central senatorial district? Are they saying we should start a fresh delineation of federal constituencies?”

A former governor in the red chamber also queried the bill seeking to make foreign spouses of women to get automatic Nigerian citizenship, five years after marriage.

According to him, “How are you sure the so-called marriage is genuine? What if the marriage collapses in the sixth year? Are we going to withdraw the citizenship?

However, on the record, the Senator representing Osun West Senatorial District, Adelere Oriolowo, urged the women to engage more in lobbying to get their proposed legislation passed in future.

He also shared the views that the bill on additional seats for women would be an additional financial burden on the country.

Oriolowo said, “For instance a bill seeking the creation of special seats for women in an institution that is already being described as bogus and should be pruned down, may not fly.

“What it means is that instead of three seats per state in the Senate, there would now be four. It will also, substantially increase the number in the House of Representatives. The issue of Constitution amendment is a continuous exercise.

“The women need to show more passion in prosecuting their cause. They need to do more of lobbying the men and they also need to be somehow in tune with the majority opinion of the general public. 

“Apart from that, women need to participate more in politics. There is no physical restriction to what women can do in politics at the moment, so, they should take advantage of their population and contest elective positions. They need to show more interest in politics. Democracy is about campaign.”