Akwa Ibom Assembly, Deputy Gov Deny Bill Criminalising Illicit Sex Among Couples

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has denied it is working on a bill aimed at criminalising adultery.

The Assembly described the report, making the rounds on social media and some online news platforms, as a piece of fake news.

The bill, according to the online report, was allegedly sponsored and promoted by the deputy governor, Dr. Akon Eyakenyi.

It was also said to have stipulated a jail term of 10 years against a convicted adulterous woman without any option of fine, and the defaulting man to pay N2 million.

But the House’s Speaker, Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong, dismissed the report of such a bill as being within the realm of the purveyors’ imagination.

He said such a bill has never been entertained in the House, not to talk of being passed into law.

Reacting through his chief press secretary (CPS), Elder Emmanuel Ebong, Otong explained that “Such misinformation is just a fabrication by desperate social media influencers trying to create contents, but oblivious of the damage it would cause the society.”

He pointed out that any bill must start from the deliberations at the plenary discussion to first and second reading as well as the public hearing stage before being passed into law for the governor’s assent.

He explained such processes never took place in the House as bandied in public space.

He, therefore, urged the people not to swallow the lies, but always scrutinise information especially coming from the unregulated social media platforms.

In the same vein, the press secretary to Deputy Governor Eyakenyi, Mr. Ormen Bassey, dismissed the alleged bill.

Bassey said his boss is not involved in the sponsorship of the purported bill as alleged.