News Post

As the World celebrate International Women’s Day, the Senate on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 passed a Motion entitled “International Women’s Day; Theme: Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50:50 by 2030”. The Motion was sponsored by Sen. Binta Masi Garba and Seven others. 

Leading the debate, Sen. Garba noted that March, 8 every year is the International Women’s Day, a day that honours the achievements of women the world over and draws attention to the rights of Women. That is why the Theme for this year’s celebration is “Women in Changing World of Work: Planet 50:50 by 2030” with particular focus on Women’s Empowerment.

The Law-maker added that many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) specifically recognized the need to empower women as both an objective and a key factor to Sustainable Development. She recalled that the International Women’s Day (IWD) was first officially recognized in 1911 and later recognized by the United Nations in 1975. In 1995, over 189 countries including Nigeria converged in Beijing, China for the Fourth World Conference on Women and signed an action plan called the “Beijing Declaration”. The Motion sailed through with three resolutions below:

i) Felicitate with Nigerian Women on this year’s International Women’s Day Celebration

ii) Call on Government at all levels to give Women a quota in all elective offices.

iii) Mandate the Committee on Women Affairs to look into the domestication of the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act in all the States of the Federation and report back to the Senate.

Meanwhile, the Red Chamber has debated and passed for second reading five legislations. The Bills whose general principles were deliberated upon and progressed to the next legislative stage include:

1) A Bill for an Act to Amend the Investment and Security Act, 2007 and for other matters connected therewith, 2017 (S.B. 394), sponsored by Sen. Hassan Mohammed (Yobe South). The Bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Capital Market to report back in four weeks.

2) A Bill for an Act to provide for the Establishment of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Technology, Owerri and for other matter connected therewith, 2017 (S.B. 398), sponsored by Sen. Samuel Anyanwu (Imo East). The legislation has been referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND.

3) A Bill for an Act to provide for the Establishment of the Federal University of Education, Kano and for other matters connected therewith, 2017, sponsored by Sen. Barau Jibrin (Kano North). The Bill has been referred to the on Senate Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND to report back in four weeks.

4) A Bill for an Act to provide for the Establishment of Integrated Community Development Agency and for other connected matters, 2017 (S.B. 305), sponsored by Sen. Stella Oduah (Anambra North). The Bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service to report back in four weeks.

5) A Bill for an Act to provide for the Establishment of a Rural Areas Development Agency to provide for the economic and social sustainability of Rural Areas in Nigeria and for other connected matters, 2017 (S.B. 35), sponsored by Sen. Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North). The legislation is also referred to the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service to report back in four weeks. The last two bills were consolidated into one during their debate.

Meanwhile, the Upper Legislative Chamber at the beginning of today’s sitting had an Executive session that lasted 30 minutes. On resumption of plenary, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session announced that the Senate discussed issues concerning the Senate and rescind the Chamber’s earlier resolution to visit South African Parliament in respect of the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians since the House of Representatives will undertake the visit.