As to be expected, opposition to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan proposing birth
control for Nigeria, mainly comes from the religious leaders whose
centre of gravity is based on divine authority : "Be fruitful and
multi-ply !" , so they must argue, "WHO be Goodluck Jonathan, to say
otherwise?"
http://www.africanglobe.net/africa/row-over-nigerian-presidents-birth-control-plan/
"Religious leaders, human rights activists and opposition politicians
yesterday faulted Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan's plan to
introduce a birth control law, saying it was an admission of failure
of his government.
Jonathan on Tuesday said while inaugurating a new board of the
National Population Commission that the nation needed a law to control
population growth, which he said was hampering economic planning.
Religious leaders who spoke said their religions reject legislating on
birth control.
"Our religion doesn't sanction implementation of a law on the number
of children that one should produce," Reverend Chris Dariya, the
secretary of ECWA churches in Zaria, said.
"It is economic reason that makes people to limit the number of their
children. But if one can afford producing four, five or more children,
then there shouldn't be any barrier," he added.
Chief Imam of the Tudun Jukun Juma'at mosque in Zaria, Sheikh Aliyu
Abdullahi Telex, said failure of government to effectively utilise
human and natural resources, rather than population growth, is the
country's problem.
"China has the largest population in the world yet it is now one of
the fastest developing countries," he said yesterday. "Ethiopia is one
of the countries with the smallest populations but it is among the
poorest."
"Religiously, Islam cannot sanction such a law because it amounts to
taking the powers of Allah into one's hand…. Islam does not put a
limitation on the number of children one should produce," Sheikh Aliyu
added.
Plateau State chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev
Phillip Dafes Mwelbish, said by initiating a birth control bill,
President Jonathan will be acting against the Biblical injunction that
says, 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.'
"The Bible says go into the world and replenish it," Mwelbish added.
"It isn't God's wish to restrain childbirth."
Leader of the Jama'atu Nasril Islam in Jos North, Dr Abdulrahaman
Lawal, said, "Child control in Islam is forbidden; Islam only permits
child-spacing and birth management."
He said Islam permits birth management only when giving birth will be
detrimental to the life of the mother or in the case of a woman who
has several caesarean sections and is advised by a medical doctor to
stop having children because it could be life threatening.
A Kano-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Aminudeen Abubakar, said "To
bring about the issue of birth control while we are in a democracy
would not be good for the government. Every Nigerian has the right to
live his life the way he likes so long as he will not infringe on
other peoples' rights."
"If government will bring a law that is asking us to space our
children we can do that because spacing to allow for wellbeing of the
child is acceptable in Islam but to control the children one would
have, is an infringement on our rights as Muslim," he added.
For his part, CAN chairman in Kano, Bishop Ransome Bello, said there
was no biblical law that talks about controlling the number of
children a Christian should have.
But he added: "If for economic reason or any reason a person decides
to limit the number of children he would be able to cater for, there
will not be problem in that."
Reps won't approve bill
Members of Nigeria's House of Representatives yesterday said they
would not approve any birth control bill that might be presented to
them by President Jonathan.
Rep. Muktari Kura (PDP, Kano) said, "We are not going to pass it
because it is against our culture and religion."
For her part, Rep. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje (PDP, Abia) said, "I don't
think it is proper to bring it now. The Catholic church will resist it
because Catholicism plays great role where these issues are concerned.
We must be careful about this."
Rep. Mu'azu Lawal (ANPP, Zamfara) said, "Population is not a problem
or the cause of our set back because China with its 1.3 billion
population is the second largest economy today and they are
developing. The US is 300 million yet population is not an issue to
them."
Rep. Bilyaminu Yusuf Shinkafi (PDP, Kebbi) berated the President for
concentrating on "trivial issues" when there are serious issues that
deserve to be given attention. "May be people close to the President
are misleading him," he added.
But Rep. Abike Dabiri-Erewa (ACN, Lagos) declined to comment on the
matter until she sees the bill."
On 27 Juni, 17:16, Cornelius Hamelberg <corneliushamelb...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> At least it's not an ethno-demo-graphic nightmare
> or mere fear of the North over-populating Nigeria
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18610751
>
> Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan urges birth control
>
> Comments (5)
>
> President Goodluck Jonathan said birth control was a sensitive
> issue
>
> Continue reading the main story
> Related Stories
> Nigeria three-baby plan 'tricky'
> Profile: Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan
> Rwanda moves to limit family size
>
> Nigerians should limit the number of children they are having,
> according to the country's leader.
> President Goodluck Jonathan said people were having too many children,
> and went on to back birth control measures.
>
> He said that in particular, uneducated people were having too many
> children, and urged people to only have as many children as they could
> afford.
>
> The United Nations has estimated that the population of Nigeria could
> grow from 160m to 400m by 2050.
> Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and previous attempts
> to encourage adults to have fewer children have failed.
> Mr Jonathan said legislation and policies aimed at controlling the
> number of births might be considered in future.
> He said he had asked the National Population Commission to inform
> people about birth control before taking the issue further.
> The president acknowledged that the issue was a sensitive one, saying:
> "We are extremely religious people... It is a very sensitive thing."
> Mr Jonathan was quoted as saying: "Both Christians and Muslims, and
> even traditionalist 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 their
> children because... it is not expected to reject God's gifts."
>
> Your comments (5)
> More on This Story
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