House Speaker Pledges Electoral Reforms, Women Empowerment
Gloria Essien, Abuja
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has asserted his commitment to spearheading crucial reforms within Nigeria’s governance structure.
Addressing a delegation comprising ambassadors from 19 European Union (EU) countries, Speaker Abbas outlined his agenda, emphasizing electoral reforms, empowerment of women, and enhanced inclusion in politics and governance.
The EU delegation, led by Ambassador Samuela Isopi, engaged in discussions with Speaker Abbas, highlighting the significance of collaborative efforts in advancing democracy and stability, both nationally and regionally.
Several members of the House, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Sani Magaji Tambuwal, and top aides to the Speaker were also in attendance.
“I want to inform you that there is uniqueness this time in the approach we are taking on the Constitution review. In the past, we observed that we did not start it in good time, and that also affected our time of completing it. That usually affects the quality of bills that are supposed to be transmitted to state legislative assemblies for them to also concur.
“This time around, we told ourselves that we need to start earlier and we need to use a roadmap. We need to also determine how long it will take us to finish our own job at the National Assembly level. That is the reason why you can see that the Constitution review committee that we kick-started a few weeks ago, started earlier than the preceding assemblies.” Speaker Abbas said.
Acknowledging the pivotal role of the National Assembly in Nigeria’s democratic framework, Ambassador Isopi reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to fostering mutual cooperation.
Central to Speaker Abbas’s discourse was the imperative of timely constitutional amendments, notably ensuring a streamlined process for the ongoing revision of the 1999 Constitution.
Recognizing past deficiencies in commencement and completion timelines, the Speaker assured proactive measures, including the formulation of a comprehensive roadmap. Underscoring the urgency, he disclosed the allocation of a substantial 24-month period for the Constitution Review Committee to conclude its deliberations, aiming for expeditious implementation.
A notable facet of the proposed reforms is the amplification of women’s voices in governance, a theme resonating deeply within the Speaker’s agenda.
Addressing the historical underrepresentation of women in politics, Speaker Abbas underscored the significance of legislative measures aimed at rectifying this imbalance.
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Tasking designated House committees with championing gender-related bills, he stressed the need for robust stakeholder engagement and advocacy, ensuring broad-based support within the Assembly.
Speaker Abbas disclosed that the chairmen and members of the House Committees on Women Affairs, and Women in Parliament have been mandated to lead the stakeholders’ engagement and lobbying for the gender-related bills “for them to really be on the same page with the women folk when the time comes for voting.”
In a bid to garner insights and best practices, Speaker Abbas revealed plans to dispatch a delegation to study successful models of women’s participation in governance, citing Uganda and Rwanda as potential reference points.
Expressing gratitude for the EU’s support, he urged for sustained collaboration, emphasizing the pivotal role of international parliamentary friendship groups in fostering legislative understanding and economic cooperation.
“I am also particularly delighted that the small initiative that we came up with at the beginning of the 10th Assembly is being accepted by the European community… the issue of friendship groups. We believe that it is a small window of opportunities that the various countries in the world and the Nigerian Parliament or the Nigerian Government can be able to deepen their understanding of our legislation, to bring about a lot of economic development to our countries.
“We are grateful that some of the members (of the House) that we have appointed to lead the friendship groups have started making impacts, particularly in the European Union,” he said.
Ambassador Isopi reiterated the EU’s steadfast dedication to partnership with Nigeria, underscoring the shared interests in stability, peace, and regional development.
The ambassador said: “As you know, there are 19 European member states present in Nigeria and the size of the group gives you an idea; it is a signal of the importance that is attached by European Union institutions and member states to Nigeria, and to the partnership between Nigeria and the European Union. Meeting with you and working with you as a leader of the Nigerian Parliament is very important to us.”
The EU delegation, comprising ambassadors from various member states, lauded Speaker Abbas for his proactive leadership and applauded the completion of the National Assembly’s library—a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to institutional development.
Those who commended the Speaker and the House in their respective remarks include the President of the Council of the EU/Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria and the Swedish, German, Spanish, French and Bulgarian Ambassadors to Nigeria.
