Imo Royal Father makes case for Special Seats Bill for women

Says Bill will give women more voice in governance 

SIDEC seeks stakeholders support 

By Eze Adiuku, Owerri

The traditional ruler of Umuonyeche Autonomous Community in Owerri Municipal Council, Imo State, HRH Eze Possible Uche (Ihemefula 1), has assured of his support for the passage of the Special Seats Bill for women at the legislative houses in Nigeria.

He made this known when he received in audience a team from Social and Integral Development Centre (SIDEC), a civic society organisation in his Palace in Owerri last Tuesday.

SIDEC is implementing this Project IMPACT in collaboration with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room with funding support from UK FCDO.

The Project is being implemented in Anambra and Imo states aimed at achieving inclusive electoral and governance systems where both male and female, youths and persons with disabilities are given equal opportunity to occupy elective public offices.

According to Eze Uche, the Bill when passed into law, will ensure that women have more voice in governance.

He said it is good the advocacy is coming at this period when political pressure is not yet much, adding that he has been part of Gender Advocacy and this will not be different.

The Royal Father urged key stakeholders to support the bill to become a reality and assured that if he has the opportunity to meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he will tell him the need to support the proposed Bill.

Continuing, he called on women to stand out and showcase what they have, saying that if you give a woman something, she will give you a nation.

Earlier, leader of the team and Executive Director of SIDEC, Ugochi Agalaba-Ehiahuruike who presented the advocacy brief to the Royal Father, lamented the low presence of women in governance.

She revealed that presently there are only four women in the Senate, 16 in the House of Representatives, 55 women in all the state houses of assembly across the country.

Agalaba-Ehiahuruike said the Bill proposes additional 37 Senate seats for women (1 per state + FCT), 37 House of Reps seats for women (1 per state + FCT) and 3 State House of Assembly seats for women per state (1 per senatorial district).

“In all, we are demanding 108 reserved seats for women. Apart from the reserved seats, women are free to contest other offices with their male counterparts”, she said.

SIDEC Executive Director explained that the advocacy is to help increase women’s representation in governance and promotes gender equality and inclusivity, adding that it has been experimented successfully in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania.

She said the Bill requires two-thirds majority in House of Representatives and Senate and two-third majority in at least 24 State Houses of Assembly, appealing to the traditional ruler of Umuonyeche Autonomous Community to add his voice and persuade Imo legislators to vote ‘Yes’ to the Bill.