Gov. Rochas Okorocha
There’s an ongoing war between Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha and Catholic Medical Practitioners Association over the abortion bill, which the governor recently signed into law.
The law, which was sponsored by the Majority Leader and member representing Ahiazu Mbaise state constituency, Mrs. Adekunle Ihuoma, is to be cited as “Imo State of Nigeria, Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law Number 12 of 2012”.
It permits every woman to procure abortion at will.
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 states 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.”
However, the decision of the state government on the bill does not go down well with members of the Catholic Medical Practitioners Association, who have described the law as anti-God.
Chairman of the association, Dr. Phillip Njemanze, while reacting to the new law, said “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.”
He recalled that the National Assembly had earlier rejected the bill, especially as it was against humanity, noting that the law would encourage human trafficking.
culled:DailyPost
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