Benue Assembly’s New Widows law sparks confusion: is Ortom’s 2023 legislation now dead?
By Our Correspondent, Makurdi
The Benue State House of Assembly has ignited a fresh controversy by passing a new Bill for a Law to establish the Benue State Widows Commission, raising questions over legislative duplication just three years after former Governor Samuel Ortom signed a similar law into effect.
In April 2023, the Ortom administration transmitted a comprehensive Bill to the state legislature aimed at prohibiting harmful traditional practices against widows, shielding them from exploitation and abuse, imposing stiff penalties on offenders, and establishing the Benue State Widows Commission to oversee protections.
The measure sailed through the Assembly, received Ortom’s assent, and was duly gazetted, as evidenced by official extracts from the Benue State Gazette.
ORTOM & SUSWAM: SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT
Sources close to the legislative process confirmed to our reporter that the 2023 law remains unrepealed and operative, with no public record of amendments or judicial challenges. “This new bill mirrors the old one almost verbatim, including the commission’s mandate and penalty provisions,” one Assembly insider, speaking anonymously, revealed.
“It’s baffling why we’re reinventing the wheel without first addressing the status of the existing law.”
The surprise move comes amid heightened scrutiny of the current Assembly under Speaker Aondona Hyacinth Tjervase, which yesterday announced the passage of the “Benue State Widows Protection Law 2026.”
A press statement from the Assembly’s Clerk, Mr. Tor Joe Ikyer, hailed the bill as a “milestone for vulnerable women,” but conspicuously omitted any mention of the 2023 legislation or steps to harmonize the two.
Legal experts have weighed in, warning of potential chaos. “Under Section 315 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), existing laws enjoy presumptive validity until expressly repealed,” noted Mr. Terhemba Ekoja, a Makurdi-based constitutional lawyer.
“Without repeal, we now have two parallel commissions and conflicting provisions, which could lead to administrative paralysis, double funding, or endless litigation.
The Assembly must clarify this pronto.”Political analysts link the development to lingering rivalries between the Ortom era (PDP) and the current administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia (APC), suggesting the new law might be an attempt to rebrand or overshadow past achievements. “It’s classic political one-upmanship,” said Dr. Bem Nyiam, a Benue-based governance expert.
“Ortom’s law was progressive, but has it been implemented? If not, why duplicate instead of strengthening it?”
Efforts to reach Speaker Tjervase and Governor Alia’s media aide, Mr. Kogbara Wale, for comments were unsuccessful as at press time.
However, women’s rights groups have applauded the intent while urging caution. “Protection for widows is urgent in Benue, where cultural practices like ‘inheritance wiping’ persist,” said Mrs. Grace Tamun, coordinator of the Benue Widows Network.
“But duplication wastes resources. We need one strong commission, fully funded and operational.”As the bill awaits gubernatorial assent, stakeholders demand transparency: Has the 2023 law been repealed? What informed this apparent overlap? Until clarified, the status quo leaves widows in legal limbo and Benue’s legislature open to accusations of inefficiency.
The House is scheduled to resume plenary next week, where the matter may feature prominently.
