Jonathan mulls birth control law

yesterday declared in Abuja that Nigerians should brace up for legislation on birth control to check population explosion.

The president spoke at the swearing in of the newly-appointed chairman and commissioners of the National Population Commission (NPC).

Former Managing Di-rector of Nigeria Breweries PLC, Chief Festus Odu-megwu, was sworn in as chairman of the commission, while 22 out of 23 appointed commissioners took the oath of office and allegiance.

In his remarks, Jonathan said that though the issue of population regulation was sensitive, government could not fold its arms and watch the population become uncontrollable. At the mo-ment, Nigeria’s population stands at approximately 150 million.

The president, however, noted that in view of the sensitivity of the issue, government would carry out enough sensitisation before legislating on laws controlling birth and population.

He directed the new NPC team to begin advocacy on birth control and promised government’s support and funding.

The President said: “For us to plan properly we must manage our population; but it is extremely sensitive; we are extremely religious people; either you are a Christian or Muslim. Both Christians and Muslims and even traditionalists and all the other religions believe that children are God’s gifts to man, so it is difficult for you to tell any Nigerian to number his children because they are gifts of God and it is not expected to reject God’s gifts.”

“It is a very sensitive thing but we must begin to think about it. We must begin to think about how we’ll manage it.”

“The key thing is that how you will through your advocacy come up with plans and programmes that as a way of advocacy you begin to encourage Nigerians to have the number of children they can manage before government comes up with clear policies and guidelines.

“First and foremost is the personal consciousness that people should get the families they can manage.

“Sometimes you get to somebody’s house living in a well-furnished duplex. The husband and wife there may have two, three four children. The mai guard (Security guard) guarding them have nine children. That is the scenario you have.

“That means there is a segment of the population that knows that you must get a number that you can manage but the other segment of the population don’t.

“If you are used to military barracks you see that the officers, General this, Major-General this, Brigadier this, Colonel this have three, five children but those that have no rank have eight, twelve.

“This is the scenario. The people up, probably because of their level of education know that they must control their population, but the people down, because of the level of exposure and education are still not aware that you must control the population.

“So first and foremost, before government comes up with regulations, guidelines or laws, Nigerians must be made to know that we cannot continue to procreate and procreate even though we know children are God’s gifts.

“Even what God has given to us we control, that is why sometimes we barb our hair; we don’t allow our hair to grow anyhow without planning.’’

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Jonathan noted that Nigeria would not be the first country to make laws controlling population and religious belief should not be a tool to frustrate good policy.

He also gave the Commission the deadline of 2015 to complete the issuance of national Identity Cards to all eligible Nigerians.

He decried the situation where government had spent lots of fund on the project without getting results.

He said the Commission should liaise with the Presidential Committee on the National Identity Card to ensure its prompt completion.

The president also directed the Commission to begin the process for the 2016 National Census because of its importance to national growth.

He said: ``There cannot be genuine sustained development if it is not anchored on accurate and reliable data.

Jonathan charged the chairman and members to demonstrate the highest standard in the discharge of their duties and warned them against primordial divisive tendencies.

He cautioned them not to subject the sensitive issue of census figure and demographics to the expediency of cheap political advantage and political discord.

The president commended the immediate past leadership of the Commission for effective 2006 census and charged the new members to consolidate on the achievements.

In all, three women, including Mrs Rolli George, the wife PDP chieftain, Chief Olabode George were among the 22 commissioners inaugurated yesterday.

The other women are a journalist and former Manager of NTA Ibadan, Mrs Sheyi Olusanya representing Ogun State and a former Commissioner in Plateau State, Mrs Cecilia Dakwot representing Plateau.

Others are Mr David Danuwa (Adamawa), Mr. Moses Ekpo (Akwa Ibom), Alhaji Mohammed Hamman (Borno), Alhaji Idi Baba Yakubu (Cross River), Dr Tunde Lakoju (Edo) and Mr Bala Mogaji (Gombe).

The commissioners also include Mr. Nwogu Emmanuel (Imo), Alh. Mohammed Suraju (Kano), Mr.Mohammed Akuboh (Kogi), Alhaji Abubakar Ndake (Kwara), Mr. Zakare Umaru-Kifo (Nasarawa) and Chief Olalere Oyewumi (Osun).

Others still are Dr. Oluremi Akogun (Ondo), Mr. Donald Wokoma (Rivers), Sen. Anguno Sunday-Zik (Taraba), Prof. Simon Chika (Anambra), Dr. Chima Uzor (Enugu), and Mr. Chris Okereke (Ebonyi).

The commissioner representing Sokoto State, Sen. Jubril Gada was absent at the ceremony.

Source: Dailytrust