Ambassador Dr. Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack, the South East Zonal Coordinator of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill Coalition, has commended the Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu for his determined efforts to see to it that women voices are loudly heard in Nigerian politics, through the Constitutional Amendment, which the Deputy Speaker is the Chairman of the House Committee.
Presenting her position paper on the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, at the Public Hearing on the Constitutional Amendment in Owerri, on Saturday, July 19th, 2025, at the Eze Imo Palace, Mbari Street, Owerri, Onyechere Sydney-Jack commended the Deputy Speaker and his committee on their efforts to give Nigerian women a voice in politics.
She said: “Your Excellencies, the Distinguished Chairman of this highly esteemed Committee, we proudly recognize your presence. We want to thank the 10th Nigerian Parliament for giving Nigerian women a voice. Without the efforts of the Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, we will not be standing here today.”
Continuing, she said: “You can imagine that if we don’t have Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu in this House, the voice of women probably wouldn’t have been heard. I thank him immensely. I also thank the Deputy Chairman Rt. Hon. Miriam Onuoha. She is also representing my Constituency, Okigwe North at the House of Representatives.
“I want to say that this Bill for Reserved Seats for Women is a Bill for all. It’s a Bill for you my fathers. It’s a Bill for you my brothers. All we are asking is that let’s look at status of the South East population, over 20 million; 9.8 are women; 2.02 percent of the women population is the number that represents women in the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly.
Furthering, she said: We do not have a single woman in the Imo State House of Assembly; one in Ebonyi; two in Enugu, only one in Anambra. History will reckon with you by the fair representation of women in the Parliaments. So, we ask all of you that you do not think that it is a women’s Bill. It is a National Bill. For National prosperity. For Nigeria to move forward; for Africa to move forward.”
Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack’s presentation was greeted with thunderous ovation by women, girls and the entire attendees at the venue.