From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), has drummed support for women to fully take part in elective positions, stressing that funds should not be a barrier.
PLAC’s Executive Director, Clement Nwankwo, who recently at a Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) strategy session on constitution review process and efforts and supported by the European Union (EU) in Abuja, with the theme,
‘Promoting citizen-centred amendments.’
The event was attended by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, who was represented by Daniel Bwala.
He argued that the bill for an Act to tinker with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution to create more slots for women in both federal and state legislatures was a worthy call that should be taking seriously.
Nwankwo noted that the cost benefits of special seats for women as enshrined in the bill, if implemented would gulp government N50 billion excluding the N150 billion yearly budget of the National Assembly, which he said was not much compared to the questionable billions spent on fuel subsidy yearly.
According to him, Nigeria has poor record of women representation in the National Assembly which is why the bill seeks to provide special place for them.
He added, “The greatest cost Nigeria is paying today emanates from conflicts, insurgency and other dimensions of insecurity. The value-addition of women is, therefore, their potential contribution to income generation and amelioration of crises in a society that has been enveloped by insecurity.”