Abuja and Lokoja — The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has disclosed plan by the National Assembly to consider making quotas for women a constitutional provision in the ongoing constitutional amendment by the 9th Assembly.
Omo-Agege spoke, yesterday, at the roundtable discussion of policymakers and stakeholders on female participation in politics organised by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC).
Represented by his Senior Special Adviser, Omasa Agbalor, he said the constitutional provisions, when implemented, would meet what has now become global best practices in terms of gender participation in the affairs of the nation.
“This would cover both the legislative and executive positions at the federal, as well as state levels. The positions would include those of legislators, ministers, ambassadors, headship of MDAs, and state commissioners.
“We also intend to make a woman’s indigeneship by marriage a constitutional issue.” Omo-Agege said.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, Aisha Dukku, reiterated the need to have more women in governance.
In his welcome address, the PLAC Executive Director, Clement Nwankwo, said despite the fact that a national gender policy had been formulated since 2006 to promote the 35 per cent affirmative action for women, the number of women holding electoral positions has kept dropping.
Meanwhile, the APC Women Leader in Kogi State, Hajiya Rabi Haruna, has assured the electorate that the December 12 Local Government Election across the state would be peaceful and orderly.
Hajiya Rabi, in an interview, commended Governor Yahaya Bello for pursuing the 30% affirmation for women with the determination that a woman should become the assistant chairman in each Local Government Area (LGA) under the APC leadership.