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Tag: abortion

  • Pro-life advocates march against abortion

    Pro-life advocates march against abortion

    A pro-life group within the Catholic Church has organised a programme in Lagos to speak out against the evils of abortion. CHINAKA OKORO was there.

    Peeved by the increasing support which abortion has received from various individuals and organisations the world over, a pro-life group under the aegis of Family and Human Life Unit (FHLU) of Saints Joachim and Anne Catholic Church, Ijegun Ikotun in Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, recently held a crusade to sensitise the public on the evil and dangers of abortion.

    The group defied the downpour and marched from the church premises to Ikotun, headquarters of Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area, singing, dancing and distributing handbills to people.

    Tagged “Anti-abortion Crusade”, the group led by Brothers Chika Nwaenyi, Andy Odogwu and others, said the incidence of abortion is becoming more alarming, even as it decried the roles parents, families, society and governments play in the perpetuation of this iniquity against the unborn under the excuse that they are not yet human beings.

    They carried placards some of which read: “Use Billings Ovulation Method,” “Use of Contraception is Inhuman,” “Say no to Abortion,” “Say no to use of Condom” and “Say no to Mercy Killing,” among others.

    In his sermon, Rev. Fr Victor Nwabueze said “life is becoming cheap. We are losing view of the sacredness of life. We don’t have the right to do everything with our lives as they belong to God. The Catholic Church teaches that life begins at conception and not at death.”

    While saying the term abortion was too trivial a word to describe the killing of the feotus, Nwabueze said: “We have to celebrate life by allowing the feotus to live. Pro-life is about appreciating life. If you cannot appreciate life, you cannot protect it.”

    He said: “The evil of abortion is not only committed by the girl who kills the baby in her womb but also by those who proffered the idea to kill and those who provided money for the girl to see a doctor. Those who kill the baby in the womb need our prayers as they are depraved.”

    Speaking on “Catholic Church’s Position on Abortion”, the former Parish Priest of the church, Rev. Fr Gasper Olanrewaju said the Catholic Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Headship of the Pope has stood firmly against any act that takes human life in any form whatsoever.

    The cleric said as the world seems to celebrate the “culture of death” as opposed to the “culture of life”, the Church emphasises that “human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognised as having the right of a person-among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.”

    He added that since the first Century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion; a teaching that has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion or abortion willed either as an end or a means, he said, is gravely contrary to the moral law. Abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes, even as he sad that the inalienable right to life of every innocent human is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation.

    Describing as lame arguments that the embryo is not yet a human being, Fr Olanrewaju posited that “since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity; cared for and healed as far as possible, like any other human being.

    “In Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 5 and 6, God said when Jeremiah was a microscopic spec in his mother’s womb, God knew him and consecrated him to be a prophet and so it is with every human being.”

    He enjoined the Chairman of the council and all Councilors to do all in their power to uphold and defend the innocent whose lives are snuffed off without any offence.

    In his speech, the Vice-Chairman of the church’s Parish Pastoral Council (PPC), Mr. Martin Nwabuwa also condemned the culture of death which he described as “whatever is opposed to life itself such as any type of murder, capital punishment, genocide, abortion and euthanasia or willful self-destruction… These are infamies indeed. They poison human society and do more harm to those who practice them than to those who suffer from the injury. Moreover, they are a supreme dishonor to the Creator.”

    Citing the late Catholic Pontiff John Paul 11 encyclical, he said: “We are facing an enormous and dramatic clash between good and evil, death and life, the culture of death and the culture of life. We find ourselves not only face with but also necessarily in the midst of this conflict. We are all involved and we all share in it, with the inescapable responsibility of choosing to be unconditionally pro-life.”

    Continuing, he listed four causes of the “culture of death” to include a misunderstanding of the person, a false idea of freedom which has become separated from truth, the loss of the sense of God and a misunderstanding of conscience, even as he noted that “a culture of life acknowledges that true freedom is grounded in truth.”

    Mr. Nwabuwa said all Catholics and other persons have a duty and responsibility to advance a culture of life and strive to transform society to one that deeply respects and cherishes human life from the moment of conception to natural death.

    He urged well-meaning individuals to recognize that opposition to intrinsic evils such as abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research and same sex unions is always necessary.

    The PPC Vice-Chairman encouraged all to “pray for our country at this time that it is experiencing the scourge of insurgency and terrorism, even as he urges prayers for the conversion of the hearts and minds of those who support intrinsic evils that they may acknowledge the dignity of the human person and promote a culture of life. Pray for the conversion of the hearts and minds of those who support a culture of death in the public arena, especially those who have opted against life and the Gospel.”

  • How to curb abortion, social vices’

    The Order of the Knights of Saints Mulumba (KSM) Maryland Sub-Council has reiterated that responsible parenthood will help to curb abortion, homosexuality and other vices in the society.

    It said anti-life practices such as use of contraceptives and same-sex practices are against godly and natural mandates.

    This was the consensus at the pro-life seminar organised by the group, which attracted secondary school students drawn from institutions in Lagos.

    The theme of the seminar was “The human family: A fountain of Grace.”

    The Grand Knight of KSM Maryland sub-council, Mr. Bernard Nkwo, noted that the group’s battle against abortion, which started four years ago, has become very challenging due to the erosion of cultural values.

    “Our values as Nigerians have been westernised,” he lamented.

    In his keynote address, a Catholic cleric, Rev. Fr. Nwachukwu, stated the family is a reflection of the society.

    He emphasised that human life is of a fundamental value.

    Nwachukwu noted all deadly acts aimed at deliberately destroying human life are offensive and evil.

    Every life, he added, is sacred and should be protected at all costs.

    He frowned at the legalisation of abortion in several countries as pills, contraceptives and other sophisticated equipment from the western world are allowed to thrive.

    “The church and the larger society also should strive harder to imbibe good morals in the children who are tomorrow’s future.

    “Above all, we must pray to God to transform the lives of those who commit such a deadly act and help them to realise that abortion is evil,” he said.

    Giving an Islamic perspective, Alfa Awwal Muftau, noted that abortion is bad and against the injunction of God.

    He said: “Do not kill your children for fear of poverty for Allah would provide for them. Killing of children both born and unborn is a great sin.”

    To arrest the situation, the Muslim cleric said Nigerians must go back to their God.

    Muftau said: “If we can do what God has commanded us to do, we would not have any regret.

    “It is regrettable that we have abandoned God’s way and chose to follow the ways of the western ideas and ideologies and borrowed everything from them which is alien to our culture and that is why they are selling anti- God ideologies to us.

    On Boko Haram, he condemned the endless killings and attacks carried out by the sect members.”

    According to him: “If you have grievances, you seek redress in the law court. We have the Islamic Sharia Court, High Court, Court of Appeal and if you are not satisfied you go to the Supreme Court and its judgment is the final.

    “So, no one must take laws into his hand since we have the judiciary. God said we should respect constituted authorities and they have put up a procedure for aggrieved persons to seek redress.”

  • Women fight unsafe abortion

    Women fight unsafe abortion

    Enough is enough! That was the battle cry of some Southeast women as they went from one community to another urging their local counterparts to desist from any act that may hurt their reproductive health or take their lives entirely.

    The campaigning women were alarmed that so many women die from unsafe abortions. The women, led by Dr Kate Ezeofor, mounted the campaign on the platform of Umuada Igbo.

    The Umuada, comprising the home-based and those from the Diaspora, have been going round communities especially in Anambra State to sensitise rural women on how they can reduce abortion-induced hazards.

    Umuada Igbo have previously visited communities such as Amawbia, Umunnachi and Ihiala, among others, to preach the gospel of safe abortion.

    Recently, they went to Amesi in their numbers in Aguata Local Government Area under the guidance and supervision of IPAS-Nigeria.

    While speaking to the rural women Ezeofor, who is the President General of Umuada Igbo Nigeria and in the Diaspora said that 34,000 women and girls die in Nigeria every year as a result of complications from abortion.

    She said that a recent study had showed that for every one girl that dies as a result of abortion, 20 others are maimed for life.

    This, according to her, is as a result of attempts to terminate unwanted pregnancies using what she described as quack doctors.

    Ezeofor was represented by Mrs. Philomena Nnamani during the sensitisation exercise whose theme was Women’s Reproductive Health, Rights and Safe Family Planning methods”.

    She said that when a woman dies, the mortality rate of the under-five children rises very sharply.

    The Umuada president said the group’s seminars and workshops in Igbo-speaking states are to ensure that families practice family planning and space their children to attain a healthy and better family.

    However, she advocated natural family planning methods for the rural women who she said could not meet the sophistication of the artificial methods.

    Also speaking, Prof Brian Adinma urged the women to play safe by always ensuring that they space their children.

    Adinma, a one-time commissioner for health in Anambra State, spoke on the topic, “Women’s Reproductive Health and Rights.

    He said it would give them good health and allow them to space to take good care of the child before another one.

    In her lecture, another resource person, a lawyer, Nkem Anyaogu, while teaching the women their rights in law, said that the women had the right to say how many children they want to have without their husband forcing them to have more.

    Furthermore, she told the rural women that Umuada Igbo in collaboration with IPAS-Nigeria would offer free legal services to the women who according to her, were going through one trauma or the other in their homes.

    Again, Anyaogu urged them to always report cases of rape to the group as a way of exposing the perpetrators of such acts.

    Before the sensitisation exercise, the Umuada group had paid a courtesy call on the vice President General of Amesi community, Mr. A. K. N Azodo, where they said that their aim was not to teach the women to disobey their husbands but to enhance the happiness of families through enlightenment.

    Ipas, an international organization which had been in the fore front for women enlightenment and liberation had supported Umuada Igbo to achieve their aims and objectives.

    Ezeofor therefore thanked the organisation for assisting the Umuada.

     

  • How cleric took minor for abortion, by doctor

    A doctor, Felix Ogunlade, yesterday told a High Court in Abuja how a 14-year-old rape victim was brought to his clinic for an abortion by an accused, Apostle Basil Princewill.

    Princewill, of Mountain Mover Fire Ministry Church, Nyanya, Abuja, was arraigned on five counts of rape and defiling a minor.

    Other charges are criminal impersonation, criminal intimidation and assault.

    Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Simon Lough, the witness, who owns Fantanu Head Medical Centre, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, said the victim was brought for an abortion by her ‘father.’

    “The victim was brought to my clinic by the accused, who claimed to be her father.

    “He told me she was his daughter and was raped by their senior pastor’s son.

    “He said his daughter was two months pregnant and noticed that she had been trying to abort it.”

    The doctor told the court he tried to question the victim but the accused was always answering on her behalf.

    He said: “I examined the victim and confirmed she was pregnant.

    “I discovered there was an active bleeding in the vagina and the mouth of the womb was opened with about three cm in diametre.”

    The doctor said he told the accused about his findings and he (accused) replied that he did not want his daughter to die.

    The witness said he also told the accused the only way to stop the bleeding was to carry out an evacuation.

    He said the accused agreed he should carry out the evacuation, which he did.

    The witness said he suggested to the accused to file a criminal charge against the pastor’s son, but he refused.

    “My lord, after that the accused paid me N2,000 for scanning and N20,000 for the evacuation,” he said.

    The doctor’s report was admitted as evidence.

    Justice Hussien Baba-Yusuf adjourned the case till May 9 for further hearing.

  • How cleric took a minor for abortion – Medical doctor

    A medical doctor, Felix Ogunlade, on Wednesday told an FCT High Court that a 14-year-old rape victim was brought to his clinic for an abortion by an accused, Apostle Basil Princewill.

    Princewill, of Mountain Mover Fire Ministry Church, Nyanya, Abuja, was arraigned on five counts of rape and having unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor.

    Other charges are criminal impersonation, criminal intimidation and assault.

    Led in evidence by Simon Lough, the prosecutor, the witness who owned Fantanu Head Medical Centre, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, said the victim was brought for an abortion by her father.

    “The victim was brought to my clinic by the accused who claimed to be her father.

    “He told me the victim was his daughter and she was raped by their senior pastor’s son.

    “He said his daughter was two months pregnant and noticed that his daughter had been trying to abort it.”

    The medical practitioner told the court that he tried to question the victim but the accused was answering on her behalf.

    He said: “I examined the victim and confirmed that she was pregnant.

    “I discovered there was an active bleeding in the vagina and the mouth of the womb was opened with about 3 CM in diametre.

    The doctor told the court that the accused was briefed about his findings and he (accused) replied that he did not want his daughter to die.

    The witness said that he further briefed the accused that the only way to stop the bleeding was to carry out an evacuation on the victim.

    He added that the accused gave him the go ahead for the evacuation and it was carried out on the victim.

    The witness said that he suggested to the accused to file a criminal charge against the pastor’s son, but he rejected the suggestion.

    “My lord, after that, the accused paid me N2,000 for scanning and also paid N20,000 for the evacuation as at then,” he said.

    The doctor’s report was admitted as evidence in court.

    After hearing the doctor’s testimony, Justice Hussien Baba-Yusuf adjourned the case until May 9 for continuation of hearing.

    The accused allegedly sent for the victim sometime in 2012, saying he had a revelation for her.

    The victim had also once told the court that the accused informed her that her step mother was trying to kill her.

    She added that the Lord directed that a quick deliverance must be carried out on her.

    The offences contravene the Penal Code.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

  • Church to lawmakers: repeal abortion law

    •We didn’t legalise abortion, says House 

    THE Catholic Church in Imo State has called on the House of Assembly to abrogate the law legalising abortion.

    The law, which permits victims of sexual assault, rape and incest to resort to abortion as a remedy, has pitched the lawmakers and the government against the Church.

    The Archbishop of Owerri Diocese, Rev Anthony Obinna, argued that the enactment of the law, which he said was secretly signed by Governor Rochas Okorocha, will be opposed by Catholic faithful in the state and beyond.

    He argued that signing the bill into law will abuse of the rights of the unborn child, who also has a right to life.

    “The excuse that abortion should be resorted to when a woman is uncomfortable with her pregnancy as a result of rape, sexual assault or incest is not enough to legalise the killing of innocent unborn children.

    “When the issue of the controversial law was raised during the Achike Udenwa administration, the Church took it up and marched on the House in protest and it was halted.

    But the current House clandestinely debated it without input from the public and it was secretly signed into law by the governor.”

    The cleric explained that the Church is demanding that the law be repealed in defence of the unborn child.

    Obinna said: “Abortion is evil and the Catholic Church is leading the protest to stop it, life is sacred and should not be taken, no matter the motive.”

    But the House denied legalising abortion, explaining that the law was enacted to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims of rape, sexual assault and incest.

    The Special Assistant to the Speaker on Media, Emeka Ahaneku, said the House was misrepresented on the issue.

    “The Speaker has made it clear that if the law did not conform to the aspirations of the people it will be further amended or totally repealed and the process has started.

    “I think the controversy is politically sponsored to cause disaffection between the people and the House because the lawmakers’ stand is clear.”

     

  • SSG kicks against Imo govt’s abortion law

    SSG kicks against Imo govt’s abortion law

    MORE than a year after Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha signed into law the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill, a portion of the law sparked protest yesterday on the streets of Owerri, the state capital.

    Catholics, after a two-day Pro-life International Conference organised by the Archdiocese of Owerri demanded the portion that gives a woman right to medical abortion.

    The portion also pitted the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Tony Anwuka, against his boss who signed the bill into law on May 29.

    Anwuka, who represented the governor at the conference said he was expressing his personal feeling as a “knight of St. Mulumba of the Catholic Church”.

    The SSG faulted the inclusion of Section 40 (1) (i), which allows “right to medical abortion” by women who need it in the state.

    Okorocha signed the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill into law on May 29 after the House of Assembly passed it and sent it to the executive for assent.

    The Imo State of Nigeria 2012 Law No 12, Section 40 (1) (i) states as follows: “Every woman shall have the right to enjoy reproductive rights, including right to medical abortion in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest and where the continued pregnancy endangers the life or physical, mental, psychological or emotional health of the mother.”

    But Anwuka condemned the inclusion of the portion which allows “medical abortion” in the body of the law, saying: “As a Knight of Saint Molumba 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 said: “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 these at whatever stage.”

    The SSG applauded the position of the National Assembly on same-sex marriage, 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.”

    The Catholic Archbishop of Owerri and Metropolitan of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Anthony Obinna, described the law as against human and natural justice, saying “the assent of the law by the governor took the Catholic Church by surprise, but we would do everything possible to protest against it until it is repealed”.

    Welcoming delegates to the conference, the cleric said the movement of pro-lifers would not be deterred by the current tide in the world, where everything is being done to ensure women are “forced to accept principles that violate God’s laws of procreation”. He said aside the church’s acceptable methods of natural births, no other artificial method, including the use of contraceptives for family planning is morally approved. “Similarly, the use of stem cells in reproduction is against natural laws,” he added.

    Other speakers spoke on why Catholic faithful should not be involved in accepting any form of family planning methods which are against the approved methods, such as billings, Rhythm, Temperature and the recent Natural Procreative Technology (NAPROTECH).