Determined to steer away from any controversy that could strengthen his political opponents, Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, Tuesday, bowed to pressure from the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Dr. Anthony J. V. Obinna, over the abortion law.
The governor, who retraced his stance when he addressed members of the State House of Assembly, appealed to the lawmakers to immediately commence the processes of expunging the offending sections of the law
The controversy over whether the abortion law should be upheld or repealed had broken recently with the Catholic Church stoutly opposing any law that would promote what the church terms as murder.
However, Okorocha explained that, “I have always loved children. I fell for this law as soon as I saw the safeguards it contained for the protection of our women
According to the governor, a law is as good as the acceptability by the people for which it was made and used the opportunity to appeal to the lawmakers to repeal the offending sections of the law.
“I make this appeal because my political opponents are waiting patiently for the outcome of this unfortunate abortion saga. It is no worth the trouble to keep this law longer than necessary”, Okorocha said.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), it was his considered opinion that the law unfortunately touched on the sensibility of church leaders, whom he said, remained the pillars of his administration.
Before anchoring his speech on the abortion law, the governor had earlier given a rundown of what he termed “the successes of my administration in the past two years and a half.”
While saying his government had already released N5 billion to the contracting firm handling the Akachi Towers, Okorocha however expressed regret that the project had suffered some setbacks.
“Over 350 kilometers of rural roads have been tarred. All projects started by this administration will be completed within the tenure of this administration,” Okorocha promised.
Responding, the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Donates Ozoemena, who also superintended over the day’s sitting, said the assembly was roundly misunderstood by the citizenry.
“We had the noblest of intentions when we passed the Bill. It went through the processes of law making. We promise to repeal this law to conform to the wishes of Imo people,” Ozoemena said.
The vexatious law was signed by Okorocha since May 29, 2012, and remained silent until Dr. Phillip Njemanze drew the attention of Archbishop Obinna to it.
Addressing the press last week, Archbishop Obinna not only demanded that the abortion law must be repealed but had also held a meeting with his priests to strategise on how to battle the anti-life legislation.
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