BY ETOP EKANEM

A coalition of Lagos – based Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, led by Engr. Jerry Okuwosa has called on President Goodluck Jonathan not to assent to the National Health Bill of 2008 to avoid selling the future of Nigerians to foreigners.

A release by Mr Sonnie Ekwowusi on behalf of the CSOs, said unless articles 51 and 53 of the bill were expunged, its passage would spell doom for the future of Nigerians.

They argued that section 51 of the bill aims at legalising the manipulation of aggression and violence against Nigerian children (embrayos and zygotes) since it solely entrusts the authority to issue a written permit to anyone wishing to trade on this from the Ministry of Health.

Okwuosa said: “The President must not allow the passage of the National Health Bill 2008 until articles that are anti-life are expunged from it and  parties not consulted or fully represented have been given proper attention and hearing.”

The body also urged the President to declare the sale and trafficking of human ovarian eggs and embrayonic tissues and the cloning of human beings as banned under any conditions in Nigeria as obtains in other parts of the country.

The group also reaffirmed that same-sex attraction was a learned habit that could be unlearned because there is no “gay gene anywhere” in the world and Nigeria’s laws are against lesbianism and homosexuality.

Mr Sonnie Ekwowusi, a lawyer noted  the coalitions support the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2011 because the acts of lesbianism and homosexuality are not part of African culture.

He also urged the President to quickly assent to the Same Gender Marriage Prohibition  Bill (2011) without further delay to ensure that the parade of homosexuals and lesbians are stopped permanently.

The President, National Association of Catholic Lawyers, Lagos Archdiocese, Mr Chukwuma Ezeala regretted that the country’s leaders were chasing shadows while their houses were burning.