Imo State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, and Catholic Medical Practitioners Association are at daggers-drawn over the abortion bill the former just signed into law.
The law among others, permits women
to procure abortion at will.
Sponsored by the Majority Leader and
member representing Ahiazu Mbaise state constituency, Mrs. Adekunle Ihuoma, the
law is to be cited as “Imo State of Nigeria, Violence Against Persons
(Prohibition) Law Number 12 of 2012”.
According to the new law, every
woman shall have the right to enjoy reproductive rights, including rights
to medical abortion in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest and where the
continued pregnancy endangers the life or the physical, mental, psychological
or emotional health of the mother.
The law also stipulates that “every
woman shall have the right to take decisions about her health needs and
requirements.”
The law was very specific that a
woman “shall have the right to determine the processes concerning reproduction
in her body.”
Okorocha also approved that every
woman should have a right to health, which should be understood to mean
enjoyment of the highest level of physical, mental and social well-being and
healthcare services.
These provisions include everything
relating to family planning.
Chairman, Catholic Medical
Practitioners Association, Dr. Phillip Njemanze, has reacted angrily to the
law, arguing that “the law is anti-God, dehumanizing and totally unacceptable
to the association.
“The law is devastating. With its
signing into law by Governor Okorocha, abortion has been legalized in the state
and anybody, just anybody can now ask for abortion as a right in the state.”
While recalling that the National
Assembly had earlier rejected the bill, especially as it was against humanity,
Njemanze reasoned that the law would encourage human egg trafficking.
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