National Assembly Won’t Kill Pro-Women Bills, Says Kalu

Deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Benjamin Kalu, has reassured Nigerians that bills promoting women rights and inclusion that failed to pass in the 9th National Assembly will not suffer the same fate in the 10th Assembly where he chairs the constitution review committee.

Kalu stated this at the 40th anniversary celebration of NEWS Engineering Limited and launch of NEWS 40/40 Leadership Development Fellowship in Abuja.

He said, “As the chairman of the constitution review committee, I have a lot of work in my hand to make sure the repositioning of women folks in our country is achieved.

“The president, the vice president, the chief of staff are products of the parliament, the secretary to the federal government is also the product of the parliament. So, they understand the role that legislative intervention plays with regards to this kind of intervention that is needed and what is that? That women should be given their place.

“I am sure when we take the constitution amendment bill to Mr. President that will preach gender equality, that will preach gender inclusiveness, the president will not say no to it,” he said.

While applauding the chief executive officer of NEWS Engineering, Josephine Nwaeze, for her exceptional ability to lead the company successfully following the tragic loss of her husband, Kalu stressed the need for Nigeria to recognise and appreciate the power of women.

He expressed his commitment to championing the cause of women’s empowerment and ensuring that their voices are adequately represented in legislative processes.

“She believed in capacity building and she built herself to be where she is now, where what has been lacking in Nigeria which is sustenance of business establishments through succession plan.

“You know, most businesses come and die because the succession plan is not thorough. When they are thorough, the people they are handing over lack the capacity to take the dream and achieve the mission. But, she has been able to interpret the vision of her husband and has made it a mission such that a lot of missionaries are coming up on board and that’s the power of a woman,” he said.

In her remarks, the minister of state for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Mariya Mahmoud, called for the election of more women into the National Assembly in the next general election.

On her part, the managing director/chief executive officer of News Engineering Nigeria Limited Josephine Nwaeze said as the company marked this significant stage of its corporate history, it also cast its gaze towards the future that holds the promise of greater achievements and enduring success.

“In this journey, we shall harness the full potential of technology to seize opportunities and explore innovations. Our commitment to excellence will drive us to develop and deploy the most relevant structures and architectural frameworks that ensure the sustainability of our legacy,” she.