The member representing Oru West State Constituency, Hon. Dominic Ezerioha and 15 others have sponsored a bill to protect the property right of women and girl child in Imo State.
The House of Assembly Bill number 105 is titled ” A bill for a Law to Protect the Property Rights of Women and Girl Child in Imo State and Other Related Matters was committed to Committee stage during plenary on Tuesday.
Supporting the bill, the Chief Sponsor Hon. Dominic Ezerioha, made strong case for the bill which he said would not only engender equality but will also protect women and the girl child from obnoxious and maliciously treatment at the death of their father or husband.
According to him, the bill will empower the girl child to inherit her father’s property in the event that her father dies without a male child.
He explained that a mother who losses her husband but has under aged female children, the mother could hold the properties in trust for the children pending when they will be 21 years.
Also, Hon. Ezerioha said that the bill seeks to
empower an adopted child to own and inherit the father’s property at the event of his death.
He however noted that a woman cannot kill his husband in order to enjoy the contents of the bill if passed to law because it also contains the punishment for such crime.
In his contributions, Hon Eddy Obinna of Aboh Mbaise, said that the bill was laudable, noting that it was an anomaly for a girl child not to have inheritance of her father’s property.
His Oru East counterpart, Hon Chigozie Nwaneri called for a balance
between a father”s Will and the content of the bill .
Other Members who supported the bill are Hon. Heclus Cyracus Okoro, member representing Ohaji Egbema, Hon. Eddy Obinna of Aboh Mbaise
Hon Uju Onwudiwe of Njaba State Constituency while hailing the bill, said that most women are dying in their husband”s home because they don’t have a space in their fathers homes.
She argued that women are the ones taking care of their aged parents and should be part of the family’s inheritance.
While commiting the bill to House Committee on Judiciary, the Rt Hon Speaker charged the Committee to take critical look at the bill including loading leasing with Customary Court to avoid confusion.
He noted that except customs and traditions the constitution does not recognize any form of discrimination .
