Re: Breaking News On 35 Bills By The Nigerian Senate -By Florence Akaakar

Today, as accounts were being made for some of the Bills recently passed by the Senate at the House of Representatives in Nigeria, this week, a frontline presidential aspirant, the only Amazon in the 2023 Presidential race on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and an academic and technocrat, Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies speaks on two (2) Bills on gender parity out of the thirty-five (35) Bills hereby listed and accounted for.

She says, her special focus would be on (2) Bills only, basically related to gender parity, while stating and confirming affirmatively, in her consideration and candid openion that, “The female gender species.is seriously endangered in Nigeria.” The Bills are as follow: 31 – Approved ; 4 – Unapproved; 2 – On gender parity/Women affairs.Total Bills – 35.

Adesanya-Davies in a questionnaire-related-interview with Florence Akaakar, a Senior lecturer at the Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt Rivers State, Nigeria choose to comment on three Bills only, out of all the 35 Bills of which two are related to gender matters. She says, I may still comment on others laters.

Prof. Davies sadly remarks and I quote, “As I read through the BREAKING NEWS on some notably passed Bills on Tuesday, this week by the Nigerian Senate, my heart bleeds on the issues relating to gender parity / equality and women centered matters in Nigeria in this century. This is because, out of the 35 Bills that were presented, only (2) were related to gender/ and gender parity and both failed in the hands of our men, as the senate is constituted by about 98% of men folks: The total Bills considered were 35 Bills. (31 – Total Bills approved, 4 – Total Bills unapproved, *2 – Total Bills on gender issue/women affairs).

Firstly, may we seize this opportunity to celebrate and thank our fathers, the men, I mean the thirty to thirty-four (30-34) senators, who voted in favour of the two gender parity Bills. We sincerely appreciate you all, you are not only truthful to yourselves, but to Nigeria our father and to God, the creator who made us both male and female. May the almighty God continue to bless you and indeed bring to pass your very heart desires on this matter, one day and very soon!

Now, other men have refused to vote in support of the women, the mothers, not remembering that, when it comes to general elections, women or the female gender constitutes over 45% of voters, but they will choose to vote for the men, our dear fathers. Oh my! We seriously need the help of the HeForShe to please come out en masse the more for the resque of the female/women folks in the nation.

Kindly take note of the gender Bills that were voted against: Nos 15 and No 16 as follow:
15. *** Bill No. 35 – for an Act to Provide for Special Seats for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly; and for Related Matters.
30 senators voted in favour
58 senators voted against.
STATUS: NOT APPROVED

16. *** Bill No. 37 – for an Act to Provide for Affirmative Action for Women in Political Party Administration; and for Related Matters.
34 senators voted in favour
53 senators voted against.
STATUS: NOT APPROVED

Please, note that these two Bill ware rightly voted against No 8 and 21 also:

8. *** A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to allow Court or Tribunal Proceedings to be Conducted remotely, Virtually, Online or through any Media Platform or Technological Innovation; and for Related Matters.
Yes – 62
No – 24
Abstain – 3
Total: 79
The Bill failed to Passed!
STATUS: NOT APPROVED

21. *** Bill No. 42 – for an Act to Expand Immunity to the Legislative and Judicial Arms of Government; and for Related Matters.
29 senators voted in favour
50 senators voted against.
STATUS: NOT APPROVED

The Sanators rather had the time, a free day and flare to consider this Bill No 11. *** Bill No. 31 – for an Act to Delete prisons in the Exclusive Legislative List and “Redesignate it as Correctional Services” in the Concurrent Legislative List; and for Related Matters.
All 86 senators voted in favour.
STATUS: NOT APPROVED

Again, as regards No 11, Adesanya-Davies expounds, “We all know that ‘Jail’ and ‘Prison’ are often used interchangeably as places of confinement. If one wants to be specific ‘jail’ can be used to describe a place for those awaiting trial or held for minor crimes, whereas ‘prison’ describes a place for convicted criminals of serious crimes. A prison is “A building in which people are legally held as a punishment for a crime they have committed or while awaiting.”

What is this big deal about now re-designation and nomenclature change in Nigeria of a “Prison as Correction Services” contrary to what is obtainable in the whole world – rather than call a spade a spade. Is it because politicians, and respectable people that are expected to be responsible are now ending up in prisons or jails or because the President’s kith and kin that are killer Fulani herdsmen are likely to end up being jailed in their numbers? Or because of conversion of ‘repentant’ Boko Haram and ISWAP remembers to Nigerian Army during recruitment excercises!

A prison is a prison, and it’s a place where corrections take place as we all know – there is no need of changing or re-designating its name – Or whatever. Or do we need to change grades ‘E’ and ‘F’ to Y and Z or small letters ‘a’ and ‘b’ in schools, so as to make failed pupils / students feel happy or make their results more acceptable, for heaven sake! Rather than face serious matters, we major in minors! It’s high time we face what should be rightly done and leave what should be left undone.” Haba! Adesanya-Davies asserts.

Yet, the Bill on gender parity and matters was not carefully considered and failed to fly and be positively considered and passed, why? In her conclusion, Prof. Adesanya-Davies posits, “The truth of that matter is that, the issue of the two Bills on gender parity would still need to be represented, revisited and re-considered positively inspite of this fact; while she ascertains in the same breath, that most of the issues which were raised during the Constitution reviews last year were no where to be found also on this list of compiled Bills yet.”

THE LIST OF BILLS CONSIDERED

1.*** A Bill for An Act to alter the Constitution of the FRN, 1999 to abrogate State Joint LG Acct & provide for a special account into which shall be paid all allocations due to LG Councils from the Federation Account & from the Govt of d State& for related matters

Yes – 92
No – 2
Abstain – 0
Total: 94
The Bill is passed
STATUS: APPROVED

2. *** A Bill For An Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to establish Local Government Councils as tier of government and guarantee their democratic existence, tenure; and for related matters.

Yes – 88
No – 4
Abstain – 0
Total – 94
This Bill is passed
STATUS: APPROVED

3. *** Act to alter the Constitution of the Fed Rep.of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the Financial Independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary; & for related matters.

Yes – 83
No – 1
Abstain – 0
Total – 84
The Bill is Passed!
STATUS: APPROVED

4. *** Act to alter the Constitution of the Fed Rep.of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the Financial Independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary; & for related matters.

Yes – 83
No – 1
Abstain – 0
Total – 84
The Bill is Passed!
STATUS: APPROVED

5.*** A Bill For An Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to compel persons to obey or comply with legislative summon; and for related matters.
Yes – 89
No – 5
Abstain – 0
Total – 94
The Bill is Passed!
STATUS: APPROVED

6. *** A Bill for An Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to ensure uniformity in the retirement age & pension rights of judicial officers of superior courts of record…
Yes – 90
No – 3
Abstain – 0
Total: 93
The Bill is Passed!
STATUS: APPROVED

7. *** A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Exclude the Period of Intervening Events in the Computation of Time for Determining Pre-election Petitions, Election Petitions & Appeals therefrom; & for Related Matters
Yes – 89
No – 4
Abstain – 0
Total: 93
The Bill is Passed!
STATUS: APPROVED

8. *** A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to allow Court or Tribunal Proceedings to be Conducted remotely, Virtually, Online or through any Media Platform or Technological Innovation; and for Related Matters.
Yes – 62
No – 24
Abstain – 3
Total: 79
The Bill failed to Passed!
STATUS: NOT APPROVED

9. *** Constitution Alteration Voting
Bill No. 29 – for an Act to Move Airports from Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; and for Related Matters.
84 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

10.*** Bill No. 30 – for an Act to move Fingerprints, Identification and Criminal Records from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; and for Related Matters.
86 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

11. *** Bill No. 31 – for an Act to Delete prisons in the Exclusive Legislative List and Redesignate it as Correctional Services in the Concurrent Legislative List; and for Related Matters.
86 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

12. *** Bill No. 32 – for an Act to move Railway from the Exclusive Legislative List to Concurrent Legislative List; and for Related Matters.
92 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

13. *** Bill No. 33 – for an Act to allow States Generate, Transmit and Distribute Electricity in Area covered by the National Grid; and for Related Matters.
90 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

14. *** Bill No. 34 – for an Act to include Value Added Tax on the Exclusive Legislative List; and for Related Matters.
41 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

15. *** Bill No. 35 – for an Act to Provide for Special Seats for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly; and for Related Matters.
30 senators voted in favour
58 senators voted against
STATUS: NOT APPROVED

16. *** Bill No. 37 – for an Act to Provide for Affirmative Action for Women in Political Party Administration; and for Related Matters.
34 senators voted in favour
53 senators voted against
STATUS: NOT APPROVED

17. *** Bill No. 36 – for an Act to Expand the Scope of Citizenship by Registration; and for Related Matters.
83 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

18. *** Bill No. 38 – for an Act to provide Criteria for Qualification to become an Indigene of a State in Nigeria; and for Related Matters.
90 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

19. *** Bill No. 39 – for an Act to Empower the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission to Enforce Compliance with Remittance of Accruals into and Disbursement of Revenue from the Federation Account and Streamline the Procedure for Reviewing the Revenue Allocation Formula; and for Related Matters.
94 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

20. *** Bill No. 40 – for an Act to Enhance the Independence of Certain Bodies; and for Related Matters.
93 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

21. *** Bill No 41 – for an Act to Remove Transitional Lawmaking Powers from the Executive Arms of Government; and for Related Matters.
88 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

22. *** Bill No. 42 – for an Act to Expand Immunity to the Legislative and Judicial Arms of Government; and for Related Matters.
29 senators voted in favour
50 senators voted against
STATUS: NOT APPROVED

23. *** Bill No. 43 – for an Act to Specify the Time within which the Executive shall present to the National Assembly any Treaty between the Federation and any other Country for Enactment; and for Related Matters.
81 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

24. *** Bill No. 44 – for an Act to Specify the period within which the President or the Governor of State shall present the Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly or House of Assembly; and for Related Matters.
92 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

25. *** Bill No. 45 – for an Act to Require the President or Governors to submit the Names of Persons Nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within thirty days of taking the Oath of Office for Confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly,; and for Related Matters.
93 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

26. *** Bill No. 46 – for an Act to include Presiding Officers of the National Assembly in the Membership of the National Security Council; and for Related Matters.
73 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

27. *** Bill No. 47 – for an Act to Establish State Security Council; and for Related Matters.
92 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

28. *** Bill No. 48 – for an Act to Empower the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly Powers to summon the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governors of States to answer Questions on issues on which the National and State Houses of Assembly have the Power to make Law; and for Related Matters.
77 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

29. *** Bill No. 49 – for an Act to reduce the Period within which the President or the Governor of a State may authorize the withdrawal of Monies from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the absence of an Appropriations Act from six months to three months; and for Related Matters.
83 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

30. *** Bill No. 50 – for an Act to Replace the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation with the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government; and for Related Matters.
93 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

31. *** Bill No. 51 – for an Act to Establish the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federal Government separate from the Office of the Accountant–General of the Federation; and for Related Matters.

88 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

32. *** Bill No. 52 – for an Act to Specify the Timeframe for the Conduct of Population Census; and for Related Matters.
91 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

33. *** Bill No. 53 – for an Act to Establish the Office of the Attorney–General of the Federation and of States separate from the Office of the Minister of Justice or Commissioners for Justice of States in order to make the Offices Attorneys–General Independent and Insulated from Partisanship; and for Related Matters.
86 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

34. *** Bill No. 54 – for an Act to provide for a State of the Nation and State of the State Address by the President and Governor; and for Related Matters.
89 senators voted in favour
STATUS: APPROVED

1. 35. *** Bill No. 55 – for an Act to include former Heads of the National Assembly in the Council of State; and for Related Matters.
   73 senators voted in favour
   STATUS: APPROVED