Proposed bill seeks to ensure women's inheritance and ownership rights in Nigeria's Rivers State
DAKAR (TrustLaw) – Should women be allowed to have a share in family and community property in Nigeria’s Rivers State ?
The issue has divided lawmakers in the State’s house of assembly as they discussed a proposed bill to ensure women’s inheritance and ownership rights, the Guardian Nigeria reported on Thursday.
The bill seeks to address the erroneous belief and practice which prevents women from sharing in family or community property, the motion’s sponsor Michael Okechukwu Chinda said.
Chinda also argued that a female child has the same rights of a male child in terms of inheriting their parents’ property and wealth.
The bill also seeks to protect a widow’s right to her husband’s property, in a context where several widows who have only female children have been evicted from their homes and relatives have inherited their husband’s property, supporters of the bill said.
“Any person who tries to evict a widow from her marital home commits an offence and shall be liable to imprisonment for three years or fine of N50,000 ($316,458),” section 11 of the bill says.
However, opponents of the proposed legislation argued that the issue of property ownership lies on the owner’s decision on who to will his or her property and urged the House drop the bill, while others said the bill could be at variance with local traditions.
Opponents of the motion warned that “if passed, the bill would not be implemented,” the paper said.
The Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly has committed the bill to the Committee on Women Affairs and urged members to set up public hearings on the matter and report back to the House in two weeks.
(Editing by Maria Caspani)
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