Bill seeking five months’ leave for widows, widowers scales second reading at House of Reps

A bill seeking to grant five months’ leave for female and male workers who lost their spouses has scaled second reading at the House of Representatives.

This followed the presentation of the general principles of the bill by the sponsor, Saidu Abdullahi (APC-Niger), at Tuesday’s plenary.

Presenting the bill, Mr Abdullahi said the bill was to place Nigeria among the top countries worldwide regarding workers welfare as the law existed in many countries.

“This crucial piece of legislation aims to address the pressing issue of supporting individuals who have lost their spouses, helping them navigate the challenging period of widowhood,” he said.

He said research findings had shown that in Nigeria, public sector organisations grant up to 14 days leave for workers who lost their spouses for the burials.

“Therefore, one may say the 14 days prescribed by public sector rules is sufficient, but when one looks at the prevalent cultural and religious practices of Nigeria, it seems inadequate.

“It is always necessary that an organisation looks at the cultural context as the way people mourn is deeply rooted in culture.

“In Eastern Nigeria, for instance, the burial of the deceased usually takes place after a few weeks or months, and the mourning period for a widow in modern times is three months, even though traditionally it is up to a year.

“In Islam, while mourning is usually three days, the waiting period for a widow is up to four months,” he said.

Mr Abdullahi added, “During this period, the bereaved spouse receives visitors for at least a month.

“Therefore, with our culture in view, giving a widower 30 days and a widow five months of widowhood leave for the death of a spouse may be reasonable.”

In his ruling, the speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, referred the bill to the House Committee on Public Sector Reforms for further legislative actions.