The Senate said it has adopted a constitutional review that will actualize the 35%affirmative action for women
The new move will give opportunity to the womenfolk to produce one female senator each in the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory.
This came to the fore on Wednesday at plenary when they welcome the wife of the President, Aisha Bihari who visited to drum support for the same purpose.
The first lady also visited to witness the presentation of the constitutional review report as it was being laid at the chamber.
Omo-Agege before moving a motion for the Senate to receive the report of the constitution review told the President of the senate that he assumes that the first Lady was at the chamber with the potential 37 new senators that will come into the Senate following the adoption of constitutional review report.
He had earlier craved the indulgence of his colleagues to welcome their special guest, “The amiable wife of our President and First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “I also acknowledge my sister, the Minister of Women Affairs and also the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning,
“Having said that Mr. President, I rise to move formally for the Senate to receive the report of the Constitution Review of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 5th alteration bill 2022 and crave your indulgence to lay the same before the Senate. I so move.”
The president of the Senate Ahmad Lawan had earlier on behalf of senators welcome the first Lady, the mother of the nation to the chamber of the Senate
“I want to extend our welcome to all the members of the delegation of the First Lady, into the chamber of the Senate today.
“Your Excellency you are welcome. Let me recognize as an official the presence also of the Hon. Minister for Women Affairs, who has been a friend of the parliament and especially the Senate. You are highly welcome.
Continuing Lawan said, “Because this particular segment has to do of our activity is particularly having to do with gender sensitivity, it is only appropriate that I invite a female senator to second the motion moved by the Deputy President of the Senate.
“Thank you very much DSP. Let me say that this is a special segment of our sitting. It is not usual that we have the presence of the First Lady in the Chamber for particularly the cause of legislative action.
“But this is a special cause and the First Lady has been consistent in supporting gender inclusivity. We are all in support of gender sensitivity. In fact in this Senate, we have only two groups, the female Senators and the HEsForSHEs.
“All the rest of us, male senators, are HEsFor SHEs. So this is a report on the Constitution Review and the presence of the First Lady is essentially to show her support for one of the Bills that want to create an affirmative action for more female parliamentarians in both chambers in the Senate and the House and the State Legislatures.”
