Akwa Ibom assembly refutes report of bill criminalising sexual relationships with married men

The Akwa Ibom House of Assembly has dismissed as false and misleading, a viral social media report alleging plans to pass a bill criminalising sexual relationships with married men.

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The rebuttal is contained in a statement issued on Monday in Uyo and signed by the Chairperson, House Committee on Information, Jerry Otu.

Mr Otu, in the statement, described the report circulating on social media as a “fabrication with no legislative basis”.

According to him, the claim, reportedly shared via a Facebook post by one Obiavel Albert Abigo, alleged that a bill sponsored by the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Akon Eyakenyi, sought to impose a 10-year jail term on women involved in a relationship with married men, while prescribing a N2 million fine for men.

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“The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly wishes to categorically state that this report is entirely false and has no basis in fact.

“The Assembly has not received or considered any such bill, and the Deputy Governor has not sponsored it.

“We condemn this malicious attempt to tarnish the image of the Deputy Governor and the Assembly, and urge the public to disregard this fake news and any associated commentaries,” Mr Otu said

Mr Otu added that the House was committed to its constitutional role of law-making and would not be swayed by mischievous attempts to undermine its integrity.

The Akwa Ibom State Government has also condemned the fake report.

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“For the record, the Deputy Governor has not sponsored any Bill in the State House of Assembly or elsewhere, and she is completely unaware of the purported Bill circulating online,” the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, said in a statement issued on Monday.

“Governance is a serious and noble responsibility, far above the petty machinations of fake news, online marauders, and those seeking to distort facts for personal or political gain.

“As a member of the State Executive Council, the Deputy Governor does not have the mandate to sponsor Bills to the House of Assembly independently. Any Executive Bill must first be deliberated upon and approved by the Council before being transmitted to the Legislature by the Executive Arm of Government,” Mr Umanah stated.

(NAN)