Constitution review: Aisha Buhari at N/Assembly, seeks special seats for women

The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, was at the National Assembly on Wednesday to witness the presentation of the report of the Ad hoc Committee on Constitution Review.

She was accompanied by the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed and a delegation of Nigerian women to the parliament.

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The president’s wife and her delegation were first at the Senate chamber where they witnessed the presentation of the report before moving to the House of Representatives where they observed the laying of the same report.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan said the visit by the first lady was to show support for a bill to have more female parliamentarians at the federal and state legislatures and other provisions that deal with women’s issues.

Daily Trust reports that other gender issues are provisions for more women in political parties’ administration as well qualification to become an indigene of a state in Nigeria.

It was observed that the first lady and members of her entourage clapped to express their solidarity and support when three of the provisions which covered the interests of women were presented at the House of Representatives.

The Senate president assured the first lady that Ninth Assembly, while voting on the amendments to the constitution as contained in the ad hoc committee’s report, would ensure that women’s participation in governance is commensurate with their population.

Reps Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, while welcoming the first lady, said she was in the House to witness the presentation of the report on the constitution review and to show her support, especially on the aspects that had to do with women’s interests.

Meanwhile, the Special Ad hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution yesterday presented 68 reports on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Chairman of the Committee and Deputy Speaker of the House, Ahmed Idris Wase, presented the reports of the committee to the House presided by Speaker Gbajabiamila.

Among the issues covered in the reports presented were the provision of pension for principal officers of the National Assembly; including presiding officers of the National Assembly in membership of the National Security Council; inclusion of VAT in the Exclusive Legislative List; to Airports and railways from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; separation of the Attorney General of the Federation or state from the Minister of Justice or Commissioner for Justice and creation of special seats for women in the National and state assemblies.

Others were diaspora voting, creation of the office of mayor for FCT; appointment of minister from the FCT; empowerment of the national and state assemblies to summon president and governors; financial independence for state legislature and judiciary; abrogation of state joint local government accounts, the establishment of local government as a tier of government and provision of affirmative action for women in political parties, among others.