The Deputy Senate President and Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Ovie Omo-Agege, has urged his colleagues to protect women’s rights in ongoing constitutional review.
Mr Omo-Agege, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), made this known on Thursday while declaring that moves towards the alteration of the 1999 constitution would commence soon.
“Let me appreciate the League of Women Voters of Nigeria for this memorandum. It is very timely and apt because the Constitution Review committee is already steaming for action. Anything about women is very important to us because the day women decide to speak with one voice, men will definitely be in trouble.
“I know part of what would be in the proposals just submitted, will be about the increase in the proportion of women participation in governance in line with the Beijing protocol but that would be looked into in a way that would not infract with provisions of the constitution as regards gender discrimination
“Although what you have submitted in the memorandum will be thoroughly perused by us but in line with our procedures, your proposals would still be needed to be routed through bill submission and consideration by the Senate in plenary.
“So, from our own end here, a Bill would have to be sponsored on proposals for Constitution amendment made by the women voters, for it to be officially forwarded to the committee as part of other numerous bills that had been received to that effect”, he said.
