Reps approve dual indigeneship for married women in the country

The House of Representatives on Thursday endorsed double indigeneship for Nigeria married women.

This followed the adoption of a report of a Bill for an Act to amend the Federal Character Commission (Establishment) Act, 2010, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria CAP F7, which in turn gives Nigeria married women an option of indigeneship.

At the committee of the ‘Whole’ chaired by the Speaker , Hon. Yakubu Dogara, the lawmakers amended section 2 part 11 of the principal Act and introduced a new section 2.

The new section (2) now provides that: “A married woman shall have the option to lay claim to her State or Local Government of origin for the purpose of implementation of the Federal Character formulae at the National level or state as the case maybe.”

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According to the lawmakers, if the amendment to the old law is endorsed by the President, henceforth, married women in the country will now have the option of choosing the indigeneship of their fathers or husbands.

The bill sponsored by Hon. Edward Gyang Pwajok (Plateau,PDP) has far reaching provisions that gives married women option of indegeneship in their state of origin and state of marriage; and for related matters.

The lawmaker while debating on the general principles of the proposed amendment noted that married women usually face the dilemma of either choosing their state of origin or state of marriage in official matters

It would be recalled that the House presided by the Speaker Hon.Yakubu Dogara had considered the bill on March 19,2019 and referred the legislation to the Committee of Whole for further inputs.