There was uproar in the House of Representatives yesterday,
following a controversial motion seeking to control the country’s
population. While some members did not see anything wrong with the
motion, Muslims and a section of northern members said it was a direct
attack on Islam.
Hon Babatunde Gabriel Kolawole had brought a
motion titled “Need for the Federal Government to curb population
explosion in Nigeria.” In his prayer, Kolawole asked the House to
urge the Federal Government to curb the current population explosion by
coming up with a workable reduction policy and directing the National
Orientation Agency, NOA, to educate Nigerians on the benefits of family
planning. The lawmaker cited a report by the United States based
Population Reference Bureau, PRB, in its 2011 World Population Data
Sheet, released in 2014, which states that Nigeria’s population would be
433 million by 2050.
This would make the country the third most
populous in the world then, behind only India and China and higher than
the United States, but with only 10 per cent of the land mass of the US.
He
expressed concern that though Nigeria’s population has hit the 166
million mark, about five million people were being added annually. Kolawole
expressed concern that the National Population Commission, NPC, did not
seems to be alive to its responsibility of researching and monitoring
national population information databank as well as advising the
President on population matters. SEE ALSO: Reps want upgrade of grazing areas He
said unbridled population growth puts pressure on the country’s
finances and infrastructure, especially food, housing, education and
healthcare and is also the catalyst for high unemployment, crime,
poverty, among others. The legislator said his motion was in view of
the challenges of countries which have population problems like China
(1.4 billion) and India (1.28 billion).
He warned that Nigeria,
as a potential third most populous country in the world by 2050, is
heading in such direction if it does not immediately commence the
implementation of an action plan to curb unbridled population growth. Kolawole
had hardly concluded his submission when a member, Sani Abdul, from
Bauchi State objected to the motion, saying that it was unnecessary and a
waste of time.
But, the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, disagreed with Abdul, noting that the motion was necessary since it was a planning issue. Abdul
in sustaining his argument, however, insisted that population is the
strength of any nation, adding that Nigeria has the resources and land
mass to accommodate any population explosion.
Thereafter, lawmakers, mostly from the north and Muslims, who contributed to the motion, were unanimous in speaking against it. SEE ALSO: Dogara constitutes committee to examine $75m request for W/Bank loan for Edo They contended that it was anti-Islam and a direct attack on their religion.
Zakare Mohammed, who claimed that he was not against the motion; at the same said the country’s culture must be preserved. According
to him, in the north and in Islam, it is acceptable to have more than
one wife and bear as many children as one so desires. However, Adam
Jagaba raised a constitutional point of order, saying that the motion
was in line with the constitution and did not offend any part of the
House rules.
Another member had raised a point of order pursuant
to Order 9 Rule 8 of the House Rule, saying the motion was in no way
attacking Muslims. The lawmaker said this is not the intent of the
motion, implying that Sani Abdul’s submission opposing the motion was
impugning motives, which was against the House rule.
Speaker Dogara in sustaining his point of order said there was no attack by the motion on any religion. “It is only a call for policy for planning. It is only when the policy is developed that you can attack it,” he said. In
his ruling, the Speaker referred the motion to the Committees on
Justice, Population and Rules and Business to consider the way forward.
hmmmmm... that all i cna say
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