3 weeks ago
10
By Cynthia Alo
Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong has called for an urgent extremity to the criminalisation of attempted termination successful Nigeria, describing it arsenic an outdated instrumentality that punishes symptom alternatively of providing care.
Speaking astatine the 3rd variation of the Vanguard Mental Health Summit successful Lagos, themed ‘Taming the Rising Tide of Suicide successful Nigeria,’ the lawmaker said thousands of Nigerians dice by termination yearly, a world helium said could beryllium saved with compassion, care, and timely action.
Ekpenyong, who represents Cross River South Senatorial District, disclosed that the Suicide Prevention Bill, 2024, which has passed archetypal speechmaking successful the Senate seeks to decriminalise attempted termination and found a model for rehabilitation, reintegration, and psychosocial enactment for survivors and affected families.
He said : “Under Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code, attempting termination successful Nigeria is inactive a transgression offence, punishable by up to 1 twelvemonth successful prison. This outdated instrumentality does not prevention lives; it punishes pain. It deepens stigma, drives silence, and makes galore much determined to implicit the act.”
Ekpenyong noted that addressing termination requires confronting the co-existing situation of substance addiction portion stressing that excessively galore young Nigerians are trapped betwixt despair and dependence.
“The Suicide Prevention Bill marks a historical shift, from punishment to diligent care, from stigma to support.
Specifically, it seeks to mandate the constitution of due backing of dedicated appraisal and stabilization centres, ensuring that immoderate idiosyncratic who survives an effort is instantly directed into a nonrecreational attraction pathway, alternatively than a situation cell.
“The proviso for broad rehabilitation and psychosocial enactment is designed precisely to intercept the dual crisis, offering paths to betterment not conscionable from a termination attempt, but from the underlying intelligence distress often exacerbated by cause and intoxicant misuse.”
Ekpenyong commended Vanguard Newspapers for sustaining the intelligence wellness dialog since 2021, describing the acme arsenic a span among advocates, experts, and lawmakers.
He besides expressed gratitude to civilian nine and intelligence wellness groups for supporting legislative betterment and urged continued collaboration to extremity the silence, unfastened the doors to care, and marque termination a communicative of endurance and hope.
The station Criminalisation of termination successful Nigeria outdated, doesn’t prevention lives – Ekpenyong appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.
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