Ebonyi Assembly Assures Speedy Passage of DEI Bill

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Moses Odunwa, has assured people of the state of the lawmakers commitment towards the passage of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Bill currently before the House.

He hinted that the current 7th Ebonyi state House of Assembly under his watch is highly interested in the passage of the all important bill which according to him, has passed through the first Reading.

“We are very very disposed towards passing the bill into law because of its importance. It will give every one a sense of belonging” 

“Ebonyi state is highly gender sensitive and has given women their rightful place in all schemes of things, including the legislative arm of government. The state has already surpassed 40 percent that is being proposed for women.

Speaker Odunwa, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen weekend  in Enugu during a Validation Meeting with Members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly towards the Passage of the (DEI) Bill.

Our Correspondent writes that the Bill seeks to establish the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission as a platform for the promotion of parity and entrenchment of social justice, and to prohibit discrimination against all manner  of persons. 

The meeting, which serves as a workshop for the Ebonyi Lawmakers, was organized by the Women Aid Collective (WACOL), in partnership with National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) with Funding Support from United Nations UN Women through the Government of Canada.

While applauding the Founding Executive Director of WACOL, Professor Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, for what the organization has been doing since inception, especially in the area of women and girls rights, Gender based Violence GBV, the speaker noted that the House for the past two years had been focused, ensuring people-oriented bills were given accelerated passage.

 He added that Ebonyi had been working ahead of other state houses of Assemblies on bills of state and national importance, assuring that the DEI bill would be treated in a similar manner.

According to him, for the DEI Bill, “We are favourably disposed to pass it and forward the same to His Excellency, Dr Francis Nwifuru, for assent into a law.

“The DEI Bill has passed the first reading already; while the delay it is having is this validation meeting where all members will make their inputs.

“Ebonyi State has been making history and we have been mostly the first to pass vital people-oriented bills such as the prisons reform bill, which got the Assembly a national award; while other assemblies are still studying it.

“For the DEI Bill, we are willing to pass it. The only thing is that there should be some modification so that it will never turn draconian, but truly inclusive for the betterment of all, at any time.

“Already, the state government has started doing something ground in ensuring inclusivity and we believe that before this year runs out, we will pass the DEI Bill after all due process and considerations.”

Addressing the lawmakers in her welcoming remark, the  WACOL boss, Prof. Ezeilo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), explained  that the Bill was meant to support all genders and give an equitable voice to various diverse segments of the society without leaving anyone behind.

Ezeilo, a Law professor at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and former Commissioner for Women Affairs Enugu state, pointed out that it was all about inclusivity and streamlining diverse segments of the state to create a sense of belonging for everyone.

She said: “the workshop will look at the DEI draft bill holistically and see that interest of diverse groups count before it is translated into a law, which a new commission will see to its implementation,”

“So, if passed into law, it will be the mother of all legislation. And DEI is the way to go globally, including Nigeria. This meeting therefore, is a kind of retreat for the Ebonyi lawmakers to see if there are grey areas in the draft bill that they are not comfortable with”

“If the bill is passed into law, it will address the issue of inclusivity. So, it’s a very important bill, and I have no doubt in my mind that Ebonyi state will do the needful in the end”

In a goodwill message, Wife of the Ebonyi state governor, Mrs Uzoamaka Nwifuru, stated that the Bill, when passed into law, would  eliminate cultural barriers limiting some genders for achieving their full economic and political potential.

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