 Welcome back to the Breakfast in Plastivia, Africa. We're heading straight to a second conversation where we look at the decision of lawmakers to reconsider the gender bill right here and just before then let's take you through the background of this. Now the House of Representatives have overturned itself on the three gender-related bills that failed to pass in the ongoing amendment to the 1999 Constitution. The gender bills are bill 36 to expand the scope of citizenship by registration and bill 37 to provide for affirmative action for women in political party administration and bill 38 to provide criteria for qualification to become an indigent of a state in Niger and those drop bill 35 to provide special sit for women in the National Assembly and the State House as of Assembly and bill 68 to give women a quarter in the Federal and State Executive Council or Ministerial and Commissionership sits the three bills according to the Speaker of the House would be included in the second badge of amendment to be considered in the fourth week time. Thus the consideration of the gender bill translate into voting for the bill and join in a systemic sense of all of this is a senior legal practitioner and notary public you're not on your own go it's good to have you join us this morning you're not thank you so much thank you for having me good morning viewers. Okay so I'm less set of with the argument surrounding this bill as much as this bill was actually put out for consideration amongst the 68 recommendations it actually did not get than yes of the lawmakers and the argument around is the fact the law does not the law is very equal before I mean treats everyone equally so there's no special sits or I mean everyone is treated as one and so these are some of the arguments around in it what do you make about this particular bill mostly that has been highlighted the three bills. Well if you look at session one sub one of the concessions that talks about the supervisor of the concession and they combine provision of the electoral art and the Nigerian constitution just like you already said there's no discrimination on the base of sex religion and all that in terms of political offices going for political offices and all that so if you look at the present constitution there's no discrimination whether you are a male or a female you can aspire for any office you desire other elective or appointed but the reality on ground is different different that a lot of people believe that the platform for a female to ascend to political office especially that of elective office is is very skewed in terms of party administration but I think this one that I want us to look at the positive side of this development which is more administrative policies of previous government or even different government for instance in cross-strait states there is a deliberate ploy by the government to encourage women to participate in politics you know I think I can be described as one of those advocates of gender sensitive person in terms of allowing or encouraging women to participate in governance in terms of going for elective office or going for appointed office and all that so for instance in cross-strait states there was a time all the vice chairman and some chairman of council to have a number of persons in the House of Ascending it was a deliberate ploy by the administration to encourage women participation because that is the only way you can have this kind of gender sensitive because we follow the law as it is that there's no specific allocation for a woman to occupy an elective office so it was a deliberate ploy by any government that is gender sensitive okay for instance if I'm going to appoint if I'm a sitting government going to appoint 20 commissioners I want to okay consider 7 for women and of course it applies to elective offices so that's why I said I use the cross-strait state as an example it's been sustained from the prior institution to the present institution there will be women inclusive in governance either elective or appointive office but I think the current agitation is to make it more legal make it more definite that okay if for instance you have a 25 member House of Ascending 35% of that should be for women especially for that but then we should also understand that with the respect to the female gender they have to be deliberate they have to be interested that's real with irritation because I've had a lot of meetings with female group most of them feel that politics is dirty they don't want to come in their names will be called they will call their names that are not verifiable and all that stuff so basically that orientation by a woman to that's a conscience that they can contribute look women are very very industrious and that is my appeal for any friendship with the female folk who have industrious women that have distributed themselves in law in messy and all that field even in journalism so when it comes to governance why do they share away with it from it what is so special about going for elective office asking for people to vote talking to persons because they have in most cases the women have been proven to be better at the stricter than the male folk you know so if you have that orientation by the female folk that they can do well in politics just like they are doing in other field that is the certain point but beyond that I believe that we can consciously as a nation provide that enabling law that will make a woman to control a world free basic education at the same at the power level make you Leonardo Youngo apologies I think it's a bit of a network issue but Leonardo if you're there can you hear us all right we will do our very best to reconnect with Leonardo Youngo who is a senior legal practitioner and not a republic as soon as we can to continue to take his analysis of this situation of course we bring in you news that the House of Representatives has made a U-turn on its stance regarding the constitutional amendment voting that was done last week particularly three bills regarding gender issues one of them being three of them actually out of the five gender bills rejected by the lawmakers during the voting on the constitutional amendment bills on March 1 2022 so three out of five maybe not too bad if you ask Leonardo Youngo would have got to take his thoughts on that the fact that only three out of five are being upturned also we look into the details of this as Messi has already said the first one is expanding the scope of citizenship by registration also affirmative action for women in political party administration and then you have the criteria to be an indigent of a state in particular the bill six to amend section 26 2a of the 1999 constitution of opening citizenship registration to male and females it means that if you are a foreigner married to a Nigerian you can apply for Nigerian citizenship that's a male married to Nigerian female not just the foreign females married to Nigerian males you also have of course the section 31 in 318 sub 1 the interpretation section of the constitutional line for women to become an indigent of a husband states after at least six at least six years of marriage for me you know I I think it is a tick of work out who has been you know lamenting this thing called certificate of origin I have never understood it you know I've had a chance to see what other countries do and I don't understand why you the certificate to decide where or to be approved where you belong to in Nigeria it is not normal and I hope I just it is it is not normal how can you you be prevented from belonging to any part of your own country you know and now even as a woman who's married to a husband you have to pass through setting criteria you know if you feel certain criteria rather and overcome certain but bottlenecks to be seen as an indigent of your husband state every Nigerian should be free to belong to any part of the country they desire just leave there you pay your taxes there maybe for they can see you live there for a number of years you're from here that's it you know because the country is too divided and these are the issues that that a leadership in a different mentality should solve just as you know everyone across the country it's entitled to own properties I mean the law would say that you have a right to acquire properties you have a right to move and all of that but typical like I always signed is that of course of the state at a time where you had you know the current George of the state who wasn't really allowed to she got to a point where she was she judge of course of the state and she she there was a time where there was this debate it wasn't actually putting it wasn't put out categorically whether that was the case however state of origin yes the reason why I didn't support her not not necessarily the governor did his due diligence I mean it follows the procedure so you have the judicial council who would actually nominate and send to provide has to go through but where the bottom you know the bottleneck actually lied was within the lawmakers and at the end of the day the issue of interest actually you know was a major concern the lawmakers at the time who voted against her not coming to it because they had the law and he still brings us back to the issue of our constitution no it wasn't it wasn't on that premise it wasn't categorically on that premise now it was put in the sense that where would your interest lie you know some kind of question very technical question was it wasn't that she was an indigent of course she's not an indigent of cross river she's married to a cross river and she has served in the civil service for about 30 years plus of course and now so the question was she's a judge the question was actually put out whether where her interest would you know lie if she becomes you know chief judge of the state and he felt like you know the lawmakers who voted against her not being confirmed the chief judge was in question at the time because they were wondering would her alliance whose interest would she protect and so just like you've mentioned in in all of this is the fact that were constantly you know not united the issue of unity is a big issue for us so you call what why do we have to even state I mean if you look at our forms you go everywhere and there's always state of origin yes so we have a nationality and then you have a state of origin well it's good to have you join us badly another young girl and can you hear us yes I can hear you very well okay so I would like you to continue with your thoughts you have mentioned that it would actually help the women be inclusive and governance it would give them away even though the law is very very very very very deliberate and very definite as regards everyone there's no gender disparity when it comes to the law but you have talked about the reality and there's a need for us to have a law which will make you know create an opportunity for women you know to be represented but do you see this reconsideration that has actually gone through the process of rejection do you consider this fact that they're going to reconsider it according to the speaker you know maybe in some time two weeks three weeks or four weeks time you would have this bill being reconsidered will this mean that the bill will be considered would they with his lawmakers vote and have it as a yes yes it's a good development yesterday I was to visit a friend at the National Assembly and when I got there it was protest and I felt like joining the protest for the gender bills so the National Assembly was occupied yesterday so the mood of the country right now is for those bills to be reconsidered I think it's a good development that the National Assembly wants to reconsider those bills that were initially rejected but beyond that I was having a thought that the women should have this self-conscious consciousness and belief if you can make it in journalism you can make it in law if you can make the message and all that feel of endeavor it comes to make it in governance then it really have come across very wonderful legislators that are women and administrators but I think the drawback that I that I envisage or I see is that most women with respect don't want to even on their own come to the political field you know because they feel as if you quote someone we sought you calling names that you don't have so and the women folk have to go beyond that how does it believe that orientation that they can do it and you can break this break this even by having that self-belief first and foremost so that is the starting point but these bills that are being reconsidered I want the groups that have been protesting and every other person like us and even media to continue the spotlight so that importantly beyond the 35 percent that is being envisaged I think it is possible for the female folk to actually go beyond the five percent you have the capacity have the competence you are industrious you are well educated so what stops you you have the appeal because you go to a community I know that there are some male dominated community that look at the woman as somebody who should be at the kitchen but that is far beyond that if you show capacity if you show confidence if you contribute meaningfully to the community then the the the community wants to call you for any position in government so I believe that that self-consciousness is good then the bill that is being reconsidered will be an added to me to be an addendum to be a to be an extra advantage not actually the key because even if you grant that if I pretend stores for women we see need women to come out we see need women to be encouraged we see need the woman that has the audacity and gots to participate in governance and so far I can tell you for good that though the women that are in legislative seats that are in governance are pouring their mental all right we have to leave with that but of course the two bills that were not reconsidered extra seats for women in legislative houses and 20% quota for women for opponent of federal and state cabinets not listed in this reconsideration thank you very much for a time and for joining us on the breakfast this morning it's been a thrill having you Leonardo Diogo who is a senior legal practitioner and notary public thank you so much for a time Leonardo it's my honor thank you so much for having me well mercy I think this shows the power of for people moving out coming together as one to make a demand and there's so many things that we need people to speak on in the country today hopefully we can take a cue yes definitely and you know I we're hoping that you know we had time to talk about the addition of 111 seats would actually increase the cost of you know having the legislative am of government in Niger you know what that means already but we'll take a break down and that's the end of our conversation definitely return tomorrow with more interesting issues if you miss out on any part of it it's all right if you listen Facebook Twitter and Instagram or plus TV Africa plus TV Africa do subscribe to YouTube channel as well isn't plus TV Africa lifestyle I am missable cool and I'm coffee bar tells we return tomorrow with more on the breakfast right young plus TV Africa to then keep watching the morning