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Confusion or Collusion? Senate Did Not Approve Early Marriage: Senators Ekweremadu/Odunsi/Abaribe

                               Akin Odunsi                                                   Ike Ekweremadu

PM News

Abuja
July 23, 2013

The chairman, of the Nigerian Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has insisted that the Senate will never approve any legislation in support of early marriage.

Ekweremadu made the clarification on Tuesday in Abuja while speaking with newsmen on the recent vote by the Senate on the recommendations of the Constitution Review Committee. Yesterday, Senator Akin Odunsi from Ogun state also made a similar clarification.

He said that the senate rejected the deletion of the clause on renunciation of citizenship, adding that the clause had nothing to do with child marriage as was being insinuated by some Nigerians.

He said that the clause, which had been in the Constitution since 1979, was recommended for deletion by the committee because it was considered discriminatory.

“I just want to appeal to Nigerians to please show understanding. Possibly they should read this section and understand that the issues have nothing to do with early marriage.

“It has nothing to do with Islam. But essentially, it has to do with the renunciation of citizenship. So they have to put it in proper perspective.

“We have no bill to approve early marriage. We are not sponsoring any bill against Islam. This particular provision has been in our Constitution since 1979.
“In essence the senate has not done anything new to that part of the Constitution,’’ he said.

Ekweremadu said that the committee’s recommendations were done in the best interest of Nigerians.
He said that senators voted according to their conscience, the dictates of their constituents and the overall national interest.

He assured that those issues which were not passed would be considered in future amendment exercise.
He said that the principle of democracy played out in the course of the voting as “the majority would have their say while the minority would have the way.’’

“When we sent our recommendations, we had no delusion whatsoever that all the recommendations will pass through. We believed that some would go through and some will not.
“So, you will see that some of those things that failed; we had more than half of the Senate voting for it but because we needed two third; there was nothing we could do about it, ‘’ Ekweremadu added.

Ekweremadu, who doubles as Deputy President of the Senate, explained that the Committee proposed a total of 31 Clause affecting 26 Sections and Schedules of the 1999 Constitution.

He urged state Houses of Assembly to also play their part expeditiously and in the national interest when the bill is transmitted to them.

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/07/23/ekweremadu-senate-did-not-approve-early-marriage/

Post Reply

Posted: at 24-07-2013 12:51 AM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Eyinnaya Abaribe

“I want to say very clearly that that is not a proper account of what happened on the floor. What we did was to look at the matter of renunciation of citizenship in Nigeria” said senate spokesman, Eyinnaya Abaribe on Channels Television’s breakfast flagship programme, Sunrise Daily.

Abaribe argued that what is obtainable in the 1999 constitution as amended, between Sections 26 and 29 as “what we have is all the matters concerning citizenship in Nigeria” he however added that “Section 29 makes a determination concerning how you can renounce your citizenship”.

Senator Abaribe admitted that Section 29 (4b) “is where the problem now is”.

He said the committee set up to amend the constitution found out that Section 29 (4b) made categorical mentions of a married woman while Section 29 (4a) dwells on the right to denouncing the citizenship of Nigeria.

He further said that Section 29 (4a) “is in conflict with Section 42 of the Constitution and of course Section 42 talks about discrimination and by so we couldn’t have two sections that are against each other. Because by bringing in 4b which makes specific mention of a woman, we felt that it was against (Section) 42”

“The committee brought it to us and said rather than continue to have a problem, let that particular section (Section 29 (4b) be deleted, since 4A is there and it is gender neutral and that is what played out at the floor of the Senate” he said.

He said the senate voted and Section 29 (4b) passed to be deleted but a constitutional point of order was raised by Senator Sani Yerima. He also explained that when a point of order is raised by a legislator “it is bound to be taken by the presiding officer (Senate President)

Section 29 (1) of the 1999 Constitution states: “Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation.”

http://www.channelstv.com/home/2013/07/23/senate-denies-proposed-amendment-of-section-29-4b-of-1999-constitution/

Posted: at 24-07-2013 12:57 AM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Ok

Posted: at 24-07-2013 01:10 AM (10 years ago) | Hero

All of U̶̲̥̅̊ day mad senators

Posted: at 24-07-2013 01:34 AM (10 years ago) | Newbie

U better be so or else gbege go dey for una head.

Posted: at 24-07-2013 07:57 AM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

I think Nigerians are very quick to judge based on headlines especially this internet age.
All these so called BlogSpot sites are always ready to sensationalize by adding salt and pepper to all stories deliberately.......

Posted: at 24-07-2013 06:51 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Mk dem no approve am ni oo!

Posted: at 25-07-2013 04:01 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

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