The Senate has passed to second reading a bill for an act to provide for the documentation and protection of domestic workers and the employers of domestic workers in the Federal Republic of
Nigeria by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and for other related matters.
“If we may recalled the Bill was read the Fast Time on the Floor of the Senate on 21 November 2023”.
Presenting the lead debate of the bill, the sponsor senator Babangida Hussaini, representing Jigawa North West, believed that the bill is very important going by what we experienced over the years in this country
He explained that our nation has experienced an increase in the incidents of assaults and abuse of domestic workers by their employers ranging from slave labour, physical abuse, and sexual abuse to mention few.
The stories are unpleasants, traumatic, and mind-boggling, especially against the background that these domestic workers exist in the informal sector, with no collective platform to speak for themselves and therefore remain helpless.
However, on the other side, there is the rise in the state of complicity of crimes committed by domestic workers, mostly in connivance with other criminal elements against their employers.
It is saddening to note that a very vulnerable group of this category of domestic workers have been consistently played upon by their employers or hosts.
Senator Babangida explained that the intentment of the bill is actually to address the employment regulations of domestic workers and, on the other hand, to deal with the matter of the rights of employers and employees as well.
“He cited example of a senior flight officer of the Nigerian airways some time when her demestic workers connived and killed her and up to today the culprit had not been found and equally there are so many reported cases where the domestic workers are being maltreted harassed ”
Similarly senator Babangida believed that the Bill is a clear collaboration with Federal Ministry of Labour and international efforts to address the deplorable working conditions, exploitations and human rights abuses that domestic workers have to contend with as well as the lack of legal protection, which makes it difficult for them to seek remedies.
Many senators who contributed during the debate supported the passage of the Bill and thereafter the senate passed it for second reading, with aim to have atleast a commission that will decument and regulate the activities.of domestic workers in Nigeria.
In a related development, the senate also passed to second reading two bills, including the bill for an act to establish the National Eye Centre in Doma Nasarawa state sponsord by senator Muhammad Ogoshi Onawo
As well as the bill for an act to establish the National Internship and unemployment benefit scheme and for other matters therewith , also sponsored by senator Salisu Shu’aibu Afolabi representing Ogun central.
