Legislature
Senate passes for second reading Bill to document, protect domestic workers, employers
The senate on Wednesday passed for second reading a Bill meant to document, protect domestic workers and their employers
This came after the general principles of the bill was presented by the sponsor Sen.Hussaini Babangida (PDP Jigawa) at plenary.
Titled, the bill for an act to provide for the documentation and protection of domestic workers and employees and for other matters there with Babangida in his presentation said the bill was read the first time on Nov 21, 2023.
“The intendment of the bill actually is to raise the issue of the employment, regulation and the management of domestic workers on one hand and on the other hand to deal with the matter of rights of also employers from domestic workers.
“So it is a two way bill that seeks to address the regulation and the operation in the informal sector of the economy.
“Let me just go back to history. In 1998 it was widely reported about a senior flight officer Hadiza Oboh of the Nigerian Airways at the age of 39 who was almost approaching the position of a captain, she was highly celebral. She was murdered by her employees and domestic workers as reported, till date the culprits have not been apprehended because record has it that they are workers from Togo/Benin Republic that she employed who killed her.
“There are a lot of cases of atrocities committed by our domestic workers.
On the part of the employers, there are reports of cases of employers maltreatment including harassment and sometimes killing of workers in their employ.
“Therefore the intendment of the bill is to bring the two sides together so that we can have a harmonized and regulated documented and properly articulated approach to Domestic employee/employer relationship. “It is also know that most of the people we employ we hardly ever know them
“You hire a gate man, you don’t know his history, you don’t know his genealogy, you don’t know his background and no any record of him so If there is any issue you will not be able to trace him. Cases of kidnapping, burglary, house theft rubbery are the result of internal collusion between the domestic staff and outsiders
According to him, over the years, there has been an increase in the incidents of assaults and abuse of domestic workers by their employers or hosts.
According to him, the abuses ranged from slave labour, physical abuse and sexual abuse among others.
He said some times ,the stories are gory, traumatic and mind-boggling, especially against the background that the domestic workers exist in the informal sector.
“They are unionists and they do not have a collective platform to speak for themselves and therefore remain ostensibly vulnerable and helpless.
“On the other side of the coin, is the rise in the state of complicity of crimes committed by domestic workers mostly in connivance with other criminal elements of society against their employers or host.
“These bother on burglary, kidnapping, stealing of children, and sometimes outright murder.”
He said due to urbanization, fast growing cities with chaotic traffic in Nigeria such as Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja, Kano and other cities have put significant pressure on working class parents of different categories of the society.
This, he said was compelling many of them to spend more time at work places and far less time at home.
“The concomitant effect of this is that many families, from the low, middle, to the high- income class families have come to the inevitable reality of the necessity of employing and relying on domestic workers to attend to their needs at home.
“It is saddening to note that a very vulnerable group of this category of domestic workers have been consistently played upon by their employers or hosts.
“These are mostly house maids, boys, wards and extended family members.
“A lot of these workers are unregistered and not supported by most national labour laws, They work for private households usually without clear terms of employment, particularly in our country.”
He said Nigeria was yet to have a codified legislation that provides for the right of domestic workers.
He said it was therefore imperative and critical for the 10th Senate to urgently assist the law enforcement agencies with potent legislative interventions by passing the bill.
“Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, in view of the enormous benefits of this bill which has been elaborately deliberated in this lead debate.
“All of you know one house girl, mechanic, one driver, somebody somewhere who needs our help in this chamber.
“I want to urge you to support the second reading of this bill, he said.
The bill, which received support of lawmakers was referred to Committee on Labour and Productivity for further legislative inputs by President of Senate, Godswill Akpabio after it scaled second reading.
The bill is to be brought back to plenary in four week
The National Assembly has modified the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act to prescribe life imprisonment for individuals found guilty of storing, transporting, or concealing illicit drugs and substances.
The amendment was adopted on Thursday during plenary, presided over by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, following broad support from the senators.
The amendment reflects a harmonised position of the Senate and the House of Representatives on Section 11 of the NDLEA Act.
The House had earlier passed an amendment prescribing life imprisonment for drug traffickers, while the Senate had proposed the death penalty.
To reconcile the differences, a conference committee of both chambers was convened. Senator Tahir Monguno, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, presented the harmonised version to the Senate.
He urged lawmakers to adopt the House’s position of life imprisonment, arguing that enforcing the death penalty could lead to the execution of over 900 accused persons currently awaiting trial for drug-related offenses.
The Deputy Senate President who presided over the plenary had put the resolution to a voice vote, and the majority of senators supported the amendment.
The approved version stipulates life imprisonment for offenders.
The amended section now reads:
“Anybody who is unlawfully involved in the storage, custody, movement, carriage, or concealment of dangerous drugs or controlled substances and who, while so involved, is armed with any offensive weapon or is disguised in any way, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and liable on conviction to be sentenced to life imprisonment.”
This amendment aims to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking while addressing concerns over human rights and the judicial implications of the death penalty.
The move is part of efforts to curb the growing menace of drug trafficking and its adverse effects on Nigerian society. According to Senator Monguno, the life imprisonment penalty strikes a balance between deterrence and humane judicial practice.
With the amendment, the NDLEA now has a robust legal framework to prosecute offenders and combat drug-related crimes effectively.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the National Assembly’s approval for a $2.209 billion (₦1.767 trillion) external borrowing plan to finance part of the ₦9.17 trillion fiscal deficit in the 2024 budget. The loan, included in the 2024 Appropriation Act, is critical to the government’s broader strategy for economic recovery and growth.
In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu noted that the borrowing aligns with the provisions of Sections 21(1) and 27(1) of the Debt Management Office (DMO) Establishment Act, 2003. He also indicated that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the plan.
The President explained that the funds would be sourced through Eurobonds or similar external financial instruments. A detailed summary of the loan’s terms and conditions accompanied the letter to guide legislative scrutiny.
“This borrowing is necessary to address the budget deficit and fulfill our fiscal strategy for 2024. Swift approval will enable us to move forward with mobilizing these funds,” the President stated, emphasizing the urgency of the request.
Senate President Akpabio referred the matter to the Committee on Local and Foreign Deb
By Isah Bala
Access to quality education is a cornerstone of societal progress, and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is embodying this vision by bringing transformative educational tools to Kogi Central. In a groundbreaking initiative, the senator recently provided 5,000 digital learning devices to public primary and secondary schools in her district, aiming to bridge the digital divide and set a new educational standard.
The devices, unveiled at Abdul Aziz Attah Memorial College (AAAMCO), are preloaded with the Nigerian curriculum from UBEC and internationally acclaimed educational resources, including Khan Academy and Discovery Kids. Through this initiative, students will experience interactive learning, enabling them to explore subjects in depth, enhance digital literacy, and engage with complex topics in a hands-on way.
This project is just the beginning of Senator Natasha’s ambitious plan to make “smart schools” the norm in Kogi Central. She envisions a future where every child in her district has equal access to digital learning, stating, “My dream is to equip all public primary and secondary schools in Kogi Central with digital learning devices before the end of my tenure in 2027.”
Beyond device distribution, the senator’s initiative includes UBEC-led teacher training to ensure educators are equipped to integrate these tools into their classrooms effectively.
With this dual approach of student and teacher empowerment, Senator Natasha is laying a foundation that will support digital literacy and skill development for years to come.
Senator Natasha’s commitment to educational advancement represents a significant step forward for Kogi Central, ensuring that young students have access to the tools they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world. This initiative marks her dedication to the constituency that entrusted her with this mandate.
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