• Senate declines action over alleged gender bias
CITING abuse of power, the House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Police Affairs to investigate the arrest and detention of former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima by the police.
Also, the House has begun probe into the deportation of an Israeli construction worker, Yaniv Dabah for making clarification over a road project in Benin-City.
Meanwhile, the Senate Tuesday said it was handicapped over a petition brought before it by a former employee of Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Mrs Inimfom Chris, who alleged her sack was based on gender discrimination.
The Senate said its helplessness stemmed from the Federal Government's official Gazette, which restricts married women from securing employment in military and paramilitary agencies in the country.
The resolution followed a motion brought by Ibrahim Gusau (ANPP-Zamfara), which was adopted by the House at its plenary session.
Specifically, the former governor was on March 9, arrested, detained and questioned by the police for allegedly making inciting remarks.
He said: "If a serving senator could be treated this way by the police, what would be the fate of the ordinary Nigerian."
Gusau explained that he was merely expressing his fundamental human rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended.
But the House Committee Chairman on Health, Ndudi Elumelu punctured the arguments, saying: "The man involved is already having a fair hearing from the police, there is no need to raise dust over the issue."
However, an attempt by the House Deputy Leader, Leo Ogor to give credence to Elumelu's argument was resisted by members.
The Chamber's decision to investigate the deportation followed the adoption of a motion, introduced under matter of urgent national importance by Razak Bello-Osagie (ACN, Edo), who expressed regrets over the development.
Bello-Osagie, in his lead debate explained that Dabah, who works with RCC, a construction company handling the renovation of five Junction in Benin City, Edo State ran into trouble after making clarification on the status of the reconstruction, flood control and beautification of the project.
"It was noted that during the recent good governance tour led by the Minister of Information, an erroneous impression was created that it was a Federal Government project.
"We are, however, aware that upon further enquiry, Governor Adam Oshiomhole, in company of the contractors handling the project (RCC), it was clarified by Yaniv Dabah that the project was in fact being executed by the Edo State Government.
"It is disturbing that after the clarification that Dabah was subsequently deported from Nigeria, a situation that portends a grave consequence for the completion of the project and the country's image at large".
While he faulted the timing of the deportation, Bello-Osagie regretted that the deportation could be a reprisal action against the state's stance on the good governance tour.
The motion was overwhelmingly supported when it was put to a voice vote by the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha who presided.
Committees on Works, Foreign Affairs and Interior were mandated to investigate the actual ownership or awardee of the said project and the circumstances surrounding Dabah's deportation and report back within four weeks.
This Senate added during the consideration of its Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions' report on Mrs Chris' petition, as Upper Chamber also declined power over judicial matters.
Mrs Chris had approached the Senate in 2011, alleging that she had been wrongly treated as an employee of Nigerian Customs Service on gender grounds.
She had pleaded for the intervention of the Senate, not for her only but also on behalf of several other women who are victims of similar treatment.
However, Chairman of the committee, Senator Ayo Akinyelure in his presentation, recommended that Chris dismissal from the Nigerian Customs Service was in order in line with the gazette.
The gazette states that "a female officer, on first appointment, shall be unmarried for an initial period of two years after which she could apply in writing for permission to get married."
Describing the gazette as obnoxious, he called for its reversal and obliteration as it was in conflict with Section 42 of the Constitution, which prohibits discrimination against citizens on account of their birth or gender.
The Guardian