Mbaise, July 10, 2021:
Hon. Emeka Chinedu Martins (Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – Imo), representing Ahiazu/Ezinihitte Mbaise Federal Constituency, in Nigeria’s National Assembly has decided to withdraw his now controversial Bill that seeks to amend the country’s Criminal Code Act Cap 38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The lawmaker, who recently disclosed to Professor Eddie Oparaoji, Chairman Mbaise Policy Roundtable (MPR), his intention to withdraw the Bill, which many have misinterpreted as an attempt to impose a five year jail term on protesters, said he will withdraw the Bill on the floor of the House when the National Assembly resumes sitting on Tuesday, July 13, 2021.
According to a statement by Prof. Oparaoji, the decision of Hon. Chinedu Martins to withdraw his otherwise well-intentioned bill is to guard against it being furthered misconstrued or distorted by political opponents for mischievous ends.
There had been widespread condemnation of the Bill based on the misunderstanding that it was targeted at protesters. Many had seen it as an attempt to stifle opposition and the democratic rights of people to protest injustices and bad policies.
Prof. Oparaoji, however, pointed out that Hon. Chinedu Martins believes that the wrong narrative about the import of the bill may have been shaped by the misleading headline, “Reps bill threatens five-year jail term for ‘unlawful protesters’” cast by the Vanguard newspaper of July 6, 2021. This headline, he said, may have provided the handle for political opponents to cause mischief and mislead people from the true essence of the bill.
The lawmaker had explained that the Bill seeks to amend the Criminal Code Act Cap 38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to provide specifically for the crime of mob action and prescribe punishment for it, stressing that, the Criminal Code Amendment Bill, 2021, did not talk about criminalizing protest or protesters in Nigeria, rather, it is a Bill that proactively seeks to preserve life and protect innocent people from being killed through mob action, known as “jungle justice” in local parlance.
Commenting on the decision of Hon. Chinedu Martins to withdraw the Bill, Professor Oparaoji said, “It is not complicated. He is an accessible people’s representative. He listens to his people and makes his decisions based on Mbaise’s best interests, desires and aspirations. That is why we love him and all he does for our community. During our communication, I had shared with him that I think the benefit of the bill is overwhelmed by the risks of unintended consequences. Jungle justice, while not acceptable, is a symptom of our failed and discredited law and order and justice system.”
MPR, with offices in Owerri, Imo State and New York, United States of America, is the premier pre-eminent Mbaise Public Policy and Business Advisory Council in the World, focused entirely on the development of Mbaise and Imo State, through the facilitation of financial and in-kind resources, private investments and private public partnerships.
