As the dust raised over the controversial Abortion Law is yet to settle, Catholic Medical Practitioners in Imo State, yesterday raised fresh alarm, accusing the Imo State Government of raising what is described as Otokoto hospitals in the 27 Local Government Areas under the guise of enhancing Healthcare delivery system in Imo state.
Speaking to newsmen in Owerri, Chairman of the group, Prince (Dr) Phillip Njemanze, alleged that the 27 general hospitals undergoing construction is part of concession of health care system in the state mortgaged to foreign interests who are in the business of ovarian egg trafficking.
Using certain documents, he alleged that an Indian firm, named Appollo, which was banished by the Indian government for involving in illicit and illegal organ trafficking in India, is believed to run the 27 General Hospitals in Imo state after completion.
Njemanze stated “The 27 General Hospitals can best be described as Otokoto hospitals adding that Lantech may be an agent or a forerunner for the main operators. Lantech, which was said to be concessionaire to handle the hospitals, was to put up the infrastructure, claiming that Appollo India is to operate the hospitals in Imo State.
He backed his claim with a document titled “Lok Sabha Parliamentary Q & A On Organ Donation & Transplantation, Government of India, Ministry Of Health And Family Welfare”, which stated that New Delhi Police was after Indraprastha Appollo Hospital for Organ trafficking.
Njemanze further alleged that the negligence for missionary hospitals in the state in preference for the 27 General Hospitals was a ploy to encourage and allow foreign interests to come to Imo State and engage in Ovarian egg and organ trafficking.
He explained that the Abortion Law is a passage for such act to be perpetrated in the State, stating that it encourages ovarian egg donation by women in Imo State “The Abortion Law encourage these foreign interests to come to the state and carry out these things. For instance, Section H of the Abortion Law which legally confers the right for every woman to take decisions about her health needs and requirements, in addition to the right to determine the processes concerning reproduction in her body; means that a woman can decide on her own to donate eggs for money”.
He continued “Because there is such legal empowerment, foreign interests are bound to come in here in Imo and buy ovarian eggs. And if a woman donates her egg more than thrice, she will die from ovarian hyper stimulation. A donation of eggs can go for N45,000. If we take into consideration, the poverty level in the state, you will know how much a woman can get if she donates her eggs regularly. One of the dangers of the law is that it will encourage Proliferation of IVF Fertilization Clinics in the state”.
Njemanze added that with the legal framework in place in the state, the General hospitals can easily serve as such centres.
He revealed that USAID, an international donor agency is giving out grants and loans to establish fertility clinics in Nigeria, adding that based on the existence of the Abortion Law, Imo state can get loans and grants for this practice.
“USAID voted over $8.3 trillion dollars for this in developing countries and Nigeria is no exception. We are aware that Imo State might have received some loans from this body” he declared.
The Imo State Catholic Medical Practitioners Association Chairman described the Law as an act of treason committed by the Okorocha administration and members of the Imo State House of Assembly and therefore should resign immediately.
“The Governor and members of the Imo House of Assembly should step aside. This is treason, it is a treasonable offence. They have violated oath of allegiance which is the seventh schedule of the Nigerian Constitution. We are calling on the Attorney General of the Federation to institute legal action” he concluded.
It will be recalled that Dr. Njemanze had burst the bubble open in an exclusive interview with Trumpeta, revealed that by provisions of Imo State of Nigeria Law No 12 of 2012 40 (1), Abortion has become legalized in Imo State.
This caused ripples in the state, despite the feeble defence by the Speaker, Imo House of Assembly, Rt Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu, and his colleagues in the State Legislature insist that the Law does not encourage abortion.
Meanwhile, as members of the Imo State House of Assembly continue to deny that it never passed into law a Bill to legalize abortion in the state, it can be revealed that a key player in the present administration and Secretary to the Imo State Government, Prof Anthony Anwuka also kicked against the law.
Mixed reactions have continued to trail the signing into law of Imo State Law No 12 of 2015 that has an offensive clause said to be Pro-Abortion in the Violence Against person’s prohibition Law No 12 of 2012.
Trumpeta can also reveal that Prof Anwuka, a Catholic and member of Knights of St Mulumba (KSM) in his capacity as a “soldier of the cross” as Knights are popularly referred to and not as SSG reportedly kicked against the law.
Even as the views of Prof Anwuka may be against that of the Imo State House of Assembly who passed the law and his boss, Okorocha, that has given assent to it, Prof Anwuka faulted the inclusion of the controversial Section 40 (1) of the law, which allows “right to medical abortion” by women who need it in the state.
Prof Anwuka made his views known few months ago. His rejection of the clause that deals with Abortion was widely reported by National media houses after he represented the Governor at a function organized by the Archdiocese of Owerri. At the end of a two-day Pro-life International Conference after a protest march in Owerri in June, Anwuka, who was government representative said he was expressing his personal feeling as a “Knight of St Mulumba of the Catholic Church” by condemning the portion which allows “medical abortion” in the body of the law, saying “As a Knight of Saint Mulumba of the Catholic Church, I will ensure that this portion of the law is expunged and abrogated soonest”.
According to him, all Catholics must and should vote for Pro-life and no government should violate this right in whatever form including enactment of laws.
Anwuka was said during that event in June this year that “Every person should have the courage to preserve life rather than destroy it, medical doctors, pharmacists and all healthcare givers as well as government should have a rethink because if they have a life, they should think only about how to keep other lives and not how to terminate them at whatever stage.
In the same vein, the SSG applauded the position of the National Assembly on same-sex saying; for the first time, I felt proud for their collective action to make sure that this new cancer that is eating up the world, “same-sex marriage” has to stop before its development in our land.
It was at the same event that Archbishop Obinna described the law as against human and natural Justice, saying “the assent of the law by the Governor took the Church by surprise”, promising that “we would do everything possible to protest against it until it is repealed.
Apparently aware of the reprehensive nature of the law, members of the Imo State House of Assembly have deserted the new complex for fear of the rumoured protest from aggrieved persons over the abortion law. Moments after the news gained public attention the lawmakers arranged for security operatives who took over the Assembly Complex. For the sake of confirming two commissioner nominees the members sat on Wednesday before hurriedly adjourning till Sept 10 for resumption. The two weeks recess was a ploy to ease tension an escape public to the chamber after two months recess. Most of them are said to be in South Africa this weekend for a programme.
