*Advocates upward review of constituency projects funds
*Stops bill seeking to legalise scheme
*Confirms Maida’s appointment as executive vice chairman, NCC
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Senate yesterday advocated the recruitment and inclusion of more women in security agencies to guarantee gender inclusivity.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Ireti Kingibe, made the call in Abuja, at a three-day Strategic Sensitisation Workshop with Senior officers of defence and security agencies and relevant committees of the National Assembly
The training was jointly organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), UN Women and the National Defence College.
The workshop had as its theme: ‘Enhancing Gender-Responsive Security Operation and Community Dialogue Project (Phase II).’
Kingibe, who is representing the Federal Capital Territory at the 10th Senate on the platform of the Labour Party also called for the promotion of diversity and inclusivity within the security forces for gender responsiveness.
She said, “There is the need to also encourage the recruitment of more women and prepare pathway for their professional development and leadership within the security force.”
She said including women in all spheres of governance would guarantee their inclusion politically and security-wise.
“We are the giant of Africa and we need to start thinking like the giant in every way. As long as we don’t legislate on issues on women, we won’t achieve more,” she added.
The lawmaker also called for the implementation of training programmes for security personnel to raise their awareness about gender dynamics.
In his presentation, representative of UN Women, Mr Peter Mancha, said that women were largely excluded from peace building processes.
“We have failed to utilise the potential that women have to contribute to conflict prevention and peace building.
“If we want to have sustainable peace, we must bring women to the table because of their potential.”
He said legislators were very critical actors in ensuring the security of women calling on the need to have laws formulated that were gender responsive.
“We need to have lawmakers who will have oversight functions to ensure that gender responsiveness is fully achieved.”
Earlier, Director-General NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman said no stone would be left unturned to ensure that all laws were gender friendly and seek to achieve gender equality.
Sulaiman who was represented by Prof. Shadrach Best said, “We hope that after this project is concluded, we will see a more robust security sector in Nigeria and a more gender friendly and gender inclusive security sector.”
In the meantime, the Senate has advocated increment in the money allocated to lawmakers to fund constituency projects.
The Senate also dumped a bill seeking to provide for Constituency and other Special Projects in the Annual Budget of the Federation and for Related Matters.
The bill sponsored by Senator Babaginda Hussaini (APC, Jigawa North-West) yesterday, failed to scale to a second reading.
The lawmakers argued that more funds would enable them drive constituency projects in their various constituencies and have the money appropriated for in Nigeria’s annual budget.
Constituency Project has always been a subject of controversy with plenty of misgivings and even misrepresentations particularly due to the fact it’s usually shrouded in secrecy.
In his lead debate, Hussaini explained that the constituency project was not peculiar to Nigeria and that it was one of the most effective ways of ensuring equitable distribution of development across the country.
He added that it helps draw governance and the dividends of democracy closer to the people at the grassroots that they represent.
The bill was very popular among federal lawmakers with many of them speaking in favour of it and seizing the opportunity to press for more money for constituency projects within their constituency.
He said, “The provisions of this Act shall apply, as more specifically Object and purpose of the Bill provided for in the Act, and shall ensure that specific portions of the Federal Annual Budget are devoted to the Constituencies for infrastructural development, wealth creation, social development and the fight against poverty at the Constituency level.
“The list of proposed projects to be covered by this Act shall include only Projects on either the Exclusive List or those on the Concurrent List to obviate against any breach of Constitutional Provisions.
“The Member shall submit the project proposal to the Appropriation Committee for input into the Budget.”
Other lawmakers like Senator Wasiu Eshinlokun ( APC, Lagos Central) and Kawu Sumaila ( Kano South) also supported the motion.
Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday, confirmed the nomination of Dr Aminu Maida for appointment as Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This followed the adoption and approval of the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Communications chaired by Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis (PDP – Zamfara Central) by the Senate at plenary.
Senator Bilbis in his report said Maidia met all the lawful and academic criteria to be appointed as NCC’s boss.
Maina had prior to his nomination for appointment by President Bola Tinubu as the new Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, served as the Executive Director, Technology and Operations at Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS).
According to the Committee, Maida is a seasoned-technical professional with over 15 years’ multi-functional and international experience in FinTech and Telecoms and Enterprise Technology.
He holds an Masters in Information Systems Engineering from Imperial College London and a Ph.D in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath UK.
During his screening on Wednesday, members of the committee like Senators Jimoh Ibrahim, Abdulazeez Yar’Adua, Abdul Ningi, Adamu Aliero etc, had vouched for the competence of Maida for the job and commended President Tinubu for making the right choice.
