Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo State, has said that by rejecting the gender bills, the National Assembly has squandered a golden opportunity to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape.
All women-related bills were rejected by the National Assembly on Tuesday, including one that sought to appoint at least ten women as ministers and commissioners in the federal and state governments.
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The rejection of the bills, according to Obaseki’s reaction on Thursday, is “heartbreaking and regrettable.”
“It is heartbreaking that members of the National Assembly squandered a golden opportunity to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape by enshrining landmark legislation that promotes inclusion and gives women the legal protection they need to achieve equitable representation at the highest levels of lawmaking and political participation.”
“This is because the legislature is a critical platform for fair representation and inclusion in government,” the governor explained.
He went on to say that it is painful and unconscionable that these bills, which give a boost to accommodating women who account for more than half of the voting population, have met such a dreadful fate.
“In Edo State, we have a healthy mix of women in our cabinet, with more than 30% of commissioners and Special Advisers in government being women,” he said.
“The Edo people hope that their own representatives in the National Assembly did not vote to disenfranchise their female population, because doing so would imply that they do not care about the people who sent them to the Assembly.”
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“Our administration has continued to give women the opportunity to hold leadership positions in government.”
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