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General News of Saturday, 14 August 2021

Source: www.thisdaylive.com

Abia First Lady, assembly partner to end obnoxious practices

Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu

The Abia State House of Assembly has assured the wife of the governor of Abia State, Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu, of the state Assembly’s cooperation and readiness to help put machinery in motion to pass legislation that will promote the welfare of the disabled, protect children and end obnoxious practices against widows in the state.

The Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji stated this during a recent advocacy visit to the Assembly by Mrs Ikpeazu.

While receiving the First Lady and her team in a quasi plenary session of the House, the Speaker who thanked the First Lady for coming on the ‘all-important advocacy visit’, said “this proves that you are fully committed to helping enhance and improve the welfare of women in the state.

You have also played a huge role in the last six years in the areas of empowering women especially widows and the less-privileged.”

Continuing, he said, “It will be to your credit that in your time, bills that are people-oriented were passed into law; you have been so outstanding and have mounted pressure on the Assembly to pass into law, bills that positively affect women and children.”

Earlier in her address, Mrs Ikpeazu who was at the Assembly with the wife of the Deputy Governor, Lady Vivian Ude Oko Chukwu, wives of the State Assembly Members, leaders of foremost local and international women groups including International Women Lawyers, National Council for Women Societies, wives of traditional rulers, people living with disabilities, widows associations, child rights advocates and children, commended the Assembly under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji “for passing into law several bills that directly affect women and children in the state.”

According to her, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, a British government agency dedicated to supporting the growth of democracy around the world has rated Abia State among the top three states in the country implementing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law passed by the current Assembly.

She, therefore, urged the lawmakers to go a step further by considering and passing into law ‘The Obnoxious Widowhood Practices Bill’ which, according to her, “will give hope to our vulnerable widows and strengthen their faith in God and man even as they mourn the loss of their husbands.

“It is enough for them to lose their husbands, but for them to also suffer the loss of wealth, suffer dehumanization and deprivation of their husband’s legacies? One loss is enough!”

The First Lady expressed confidence in the ability of the House to not only consider the bill expeditiously but to also pass ‘The Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities Bill’ into Law and review the Child Rights Law of the State passed in 2006 to reflect the current realities of the world proliferated with communications technology.

The Speaker promised the First Lady of the House’s readiness to give the proposed bills and request expeditious considerations as always.