Nigeria is now far behind countries like Gabon, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone and South Africa when it comes to gender balance in Governance, a Human Rights Lawyer, Barrister Abubakar Marshal has said.
The lawyer leading a legal advocacy for the advocacy for 35% affirmative action, decried the fact that Nigeria, which should be the pace for other nations in the region to follow, is now falling behind.
He disclosed this while speaking on the legal implication of the refusal of the federal Government to adhere to the April 2022 High Court judgment that affirms 35% appointive position for Nigerian Women.
He said other African countries took proactive measures to address the issue of legal gender policy.
Recall that Civil Society Organisations led by Nigerian Women Trust Fund secured a historic judgment in the federal High court, mandating the Federal Government to reserve 35% of its appointive position to Women. However, both the administration of Muhammadu Buhari and his successor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are yet to implement the court order.
“There have been advocacy movements by gender-pressure groups like Nigerian Women Trust Fund, national association of women lawyers, Women in Politics, Yiaga Africa amongst others to ensure that the judgment is complied with”, he said.
According to the Barrister Marshal, “since the court of law made a prohibitive order against a government institution or agency and anything that such an agency or government institution does which clearly violates that particular order is null and void it’s illegal”. He said, since the government could not appeal the judgment, it is bound to abide by the order.
“There wasn’t an attempt. you see after that particular judgment was passed down because it raised a lot of interest”, he said. As a matter of fact he said, the then Minister of Women Affairs, Dame, Paul Tallin, who was very happy about the prospect of having the judgments complied with by the president. “So she did take that particular judgment to meet the president’s and that judgment was discussed in the council of states meeting and the president affirmed to the council of states meeting and members of the president’s council that he is going to comply with that judgment”, he said.
He called on President Tinubu to be a true democrat and act according to the law. “So, the President must take proactive measures and ensure that he’s a true Democrat. And a true Democrat is willing and ready to comply with every law and with every court order and judgment that is binding upon him”.
“I’m using this opportunity to implore the president to do the needful by complying with these Judgment and also doing more advocacy is not a one time thing ; consistency and honesty pays off”.
He also called on the new minister of justice to advise the President on the need to adhere to the court order. “The Minister holds the responsibility of advising the president on all of these legal issues. I think we have the minister of justice whom we believe is more proactive and
has shown that he can match actions with where it matters”, he said.
