By Ken Chiwendu
A Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act, 2002 to make it mandatory for Nigerians of Maturity Age to Vote in all National and State Elections has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.
The Bill was sponsored by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, and Daniel Asama Ago
Leading the debate during plenary on Thursday, Ago said the bill aimed to encourage citizens’ participation in the electoral process, noting that voter apathy during elections would be addressed if the bill scales legislative scrutiny.
Ago, who represents Bassa/Jos North under the Labour Party, believes mandatory voting can reduce the influence of vote buying.
The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, in his contribution believes this is a good step in the right direction.
He also cited examples of other countries such as Australia where the practice is upheld.
Some lawmakers argued that citizens have lost confidence in the voting system, and also questioned the authenticity of the voters register.
Similarly, a bill for an Act to amend the Labour Act, to increase the Maternity Leave period of working women to six months has been stepped down in the House of Representatives.
Hon Chike Okafor (Okigwe South/Imo/APC) who sponsored the bill was compelled to step it down after lawmakers including women, debated against it.
The lawmakers argued that increasing the maternity leave period from three to six months would put women in a disadvantaged position as employers would be wary of employing them.
Meanwhile, the Senate has passed through second reading a bill seeking to establish the National Agency for Malaria Eradication (NAME) as part of an urgent national effort to combat malaria, a disease responsible for over 184,000 deaths annually in the country.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko (Delta North), was first introduced on November 28, 2023, but has now been reintroduced with a revised title and a sharpened focus to reflect what the lawmaker described as a national emergency.
Leading the debate, Senator Nwoko referenced the World Health Organization’s 2024 report, which shows that Africa records approximately 600,000 malaria deaths each year, with Nigeria bearing the highest burden globally.
“Malaria is not just a public health issue. It is a structural crisis. It contributes to 11% of maternal mortality in Nigeria and leads to miscarriages, stillbirths and severe anaemia,” he said.
The senator also highlighted the economic cost of malaria, noting how it drains productivity and burdens businesses with avoidable healthcare expenses.
Lawmakers gave huge backing to the bill underscoring the need for a coordinated approach to tacking malaria scourge and procuring vaccines to scale down the high death toll and ensure an institutionalized response to one of the nation’s deadliest diseases.
The bill which scaled second reading has been referred to the Committee on Health to report back in four weeks.
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