The Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Chike Olemgbe, has assured stakeholders that the House will give favourable consideration to a bill seeking to reserve three additional seats for women in the state legislature.
Olemgbe gave the assurance on Monday when the Imo State chapter of the League of Women Voters of Nigeria paid an advocacy visit to members of the Assembly, urging support for the proposed legislation.
He told the delegation that if the bill is presented before the 10th Assembly during its tenure, it would receive positive legislative attention, stressing the need to support women to contribute their quota to the development of the state.
The Speaker also recalled that Governor Hope Uzodimma had supported the emergence of four female candidates of the All Progressives Congress, who may join the Assembly in the 11th House.
Speaking during the group’s one-day state-level electoral college meeting with lawmakers, a former member of the Assembly, Uju Onwudiwe, said there was a need to reserve three seats for women, with one drawn from each of Imo State’s three senatorial districts.
She said the campaign was not intended to displace men from elective offices.
“We cannot achieve anything as women without the support of the men. The women need a space to discuss on issues concerning them”.
According to Onwudiwe, “This bill which is the first in the constitution amendment town hall meeting is aimed at promoting participation of women in the political decision making in the state. The bill talks about all-inclusiveness”.
She explained that the proposal seeks to create three additional seats in the House of Assembly, increasing the number of lawmakers from 27 to 30.
“The special seats offers three extra seats for the House of Assembly, so that instead of having 27 lawmakers, Imo Assembly will now have 30 member-house. It will go through a electoral college model that brings stakeholders together for decision-making”.
She urged the Imo State House of Assembly to give the bill favourable consideration when it is listed on the Order Paper.
Also speaking, Mrs Ogechi Ikeh, who represented the National President of NILOWV, Mrs Irene Awunah-Ikyegh, urged the Speaker and members of the House to support the proposed legislation to enable women to participate more actively in decision-making.
“There’s need to bring women with capacity, integrity and competence into the corridors of power for contributions on matters that concern them and to bring a balance to national growth.
“It will be recalled that the Reserved Seats for Women Bill (House Bill 1349) is a proposed constitutional amendment in Nigeria designed to address the severe underrepresentation of women in legislative bodies by creating additional, exclusive seats for female candidates”.
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