The chairman, House committee on Women Affairs and member representing Gokana constituency in the House of Assembly, Hon. Dr. Innocent Barikor, said the bill on Women’s Rights had a very quality and robust debate.
Dr. Barikor made the remark during the public hearing on the bill on The Prohibition on the Curtailment of the Rights of Women to Share in the Family Property in the Rivers State and Related Matters, on May 4, 2012, at the Auditorium of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Port Harcourt.
Hon. Barikor stated that members of the committee will not do anything to jeopardize the decision and the will of the people of Rivers State who contributed to the matter on the floor of the House.
The soft spoken Lawmaker also assured stakeholders that all the views stated would be collated and submitted to the House for their consideration and promised that every input would be reflected.
He commended those who submitted memorandum and those who took part in the debate, saying it is the political right of Rivers State people to always contribute on any matter in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Earlier, Hon. Victoria Nyeche representing the people of Phalga, stated that the presentation on the floor was very encouraging as many spoke in favour of women.
She said equity and justice was one of the factors that propelled the bill. On the issue that the Port Harcourt City council submitted a contrary view on the bill, Hon. Victoria said everybody was entitled to his or her opinion on any matter because that is the beauty of democracy. but stated that her view on the bill covered the people while the contrary view by the Port Harcourt city was a council’s view and not Port Harcourt people.
The bill which seemed to be making waves in the state was sponsored by Hon. Michael Okechukwu Chinda, member representing Obio/Akpor constituency 2 in the state Assembly.
The bill is divided into three parts, part 1 the right of women to share in family property, part 2 co-ownership of family home and part 3- has the penal provision with a section which states, “Any person who attempts to or forcibly evicts a widow from her family or marital home commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment of two years or pay a fine of N50,000 or both.
Many of those who submitted memorandum supported the bill, such as the Nigeria Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch, FIDA, NAWOJ, and several non-governmental organizations, quoting the Nigerian constitution and the international convention.
Pius Dukor, a journalist and one of the stakeholders, drew the attention of the committee to a similar law passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly on a similar matter titled Married Women’s Property Law 1988 No. 10 chapter 85, LRSN 1999 and submitted that the House should take a critical look into the said law to determine the nexus.
The fear of double share was expressed where, if a young girl shared property with her brothers and later she got married, the property at the husband’s house is also at her disposal. ###
Note: We regret the mix-up of picture used for this story in the last edition. Management.
Pius Dukor
