Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu has renewed her call for the passage of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill currently before the National Assembly.
Mrs Tinubu made the call on Friday night, when she hosted a dinner for members of the National Assembly at the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The opportunity was used to engage the legislators on the importance of the bill and other burning national Issues.
In her welcome remarks at the dinner, the First Lady highlighted recent concerns about the future of the girl child and emphasized the need for all children, especially girls, to have uninterrupted access to education.
She said; “In the past few days, our nation has faced a lot of assault, especially as it concerns the future of the education of the girl child. The boys, on the other hand, through the Almajiri system are deprived of basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter under the guise of noble Islamic education.
“This deprivation opens them up to be lured into the wrong hands and the likelihood of being drafted into extremist groups in the fake promise of a better life. This is why we must prioritise reforms that restore dignity, provide safe learning environments, and ensure every child has a fair chance to thrive.”
“This gathering presents us with a unique opportunity to explore the future of our children, especially through women’s representation across the country, particularly with regards to the Reserved Seats for Women Bill that is before the National Assembly,” Mrs Tinubu said.
She pointed out that the dinner was organised to discuss and reflect on national issues; not as a social gathering.
“I have watched with keenness in recent months as various interest groups across our beloved nation, and even international bodies, have gathered momentum in support of this particular bill. The question is, is the topic of this discussion new? Definitely no! I believe we have gone round in circles on this particular issue for so long.
“I ask myself, is this bill indeed possible to scale through? Yes, if not today, someday, and absolutely so. But if we do this now, the 10th Assembly will go down in the history of our legislature as the set that stood for women, when it counted the most. This is the time to take care of our girls and boys.
“This gathering is not for long speeches. It is a moment for dialogue and reflection. An opportunity for us to listen to one another with open minds and to think together about the next chapter of our democracy,” she said.
Others including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Imo State Governor, Sen Hope Uzodimma and the National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda all agreed that Legislation is not static and must be tweaked to reflect the realities of the times.
The dinner hosted by the First Lady, which had both Senators and members of the National Assembly in attendance, was aimed at galvanizing support for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill and other related issues.
Mercy Chukwudiebere