Hon. Ansu Jaia Kai Kai, Deputy Minority Leader of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) has advocated for a rethink of the Safe Abortion Act and called for its withdrawal in order for Parliament to debate it further.
“I know the document has now been laid on the table of the President but I believe he will think like a former Parliamentarian to know that much needed to be done before appending his signatory to it before it is gazzeted and become law,” Hon. Kai Kai emphasized
He said he still stood by his vehement objection to the passing of the bill, even though some colleagues consented with subdued ‘aye’ in the well. “My reasons are simply: the bill needed a lot of sensitization considering that it deals with human life. Also it works directly against our traditional values and a deviance to religious teachings, so our people needed to be adequately informed why such a law should be enacted.”
Hon Kaikai reiterated that “our people were not in the know of the contents of the bill because they were not sensitized,” stressing “what is important and a responsibility to the safe abortion advocates is for them to embark on serious sensitization drive, get the views and consent of the people, especially young women who are direct targets and our traditional custodians.”
“We wouldn’t want to see where our young women will see it as license to engage in destroying lives because our health facilities are still far from improvement,” Hon Kai Kai stressed
One of the presidential aspirants of the Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party, further lamented that he would not want posterity to judge them wrongly just because few people in society want to make things happen in the name of domesticating a protocol.
The Minister that brought the Maputo Protocol never tabled Abortion Bill to the House, he questioned, saying he would only be satisfied if the bill is brought back for further discussions after ensuring adequate sensitization and awareness raising activities are being carried out across the country.
Therefore, he said, “it is for this reason that I call on the President to be very considerate and use his wisdom to thoroughly examine the document and ensure its acceptability by the people before signing it into law.”
A Private Member Bill brought forward by the Member of Parliament for Port Loko, Hon. Isata Kabia was passed through the House of Parliament on Tuesday, 8th December, 2015.
Monday December 14, 2015
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