Senate President Godswill Akpabio has cautioned Nigerians against taking lawmakers’ contributions during plenary out of context, insisting that individual opinions expressed during debates should not be mistaken for Senate’s final position.
Akpabio gave warning on Thursday amid public reactions to his opposition to bill seeking to decriminalise attempted suicide and replace imprisonment with medical treatment, rehabilitation and psychological support.
Bill, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, who represents Cross River South, scaled second reading during Tuesday’s plenary, sparking debate over whether survivors of suicide attempts should face prosecution or receive medical and mental health support.
Akpabio opposed proposed decriminalisation, arguing that attempted suicide should remain criminal offence. His comments, particularly his position that survivors should be jailed, attracted public criticism.
Addressing controversy during Thursday’s plenary, Senate President said legislative debates naturally involved opposing views and urged public commentators to await chamber’s final decisions before drawing conclusions.
“When we discuss here, we discuss for and against, and in course of our discussions, whatever we say should not anger anybody outside this chamber, because at end, what matters is our final decision,” he said.
He added that lawmakers must be allowed to disagree during deliberations without their contributions being misrepresented or used to damage their reputations.
“We want to make best laws, so we are bound to oppose each other, and we are also bound to support each other,” he said.
Akpabio specifically cautioned television panellists and other public commentators against interpreting legislative proceedings through political considerations rather than focusing on substance of issues being debated.
Senate President also addressed relationship between terrorism and religion, rejecting attempts to associate acts of violence with any particular faith.
“Terrorists are not Muslims. Terrorists are not Christians. Terrorists are human beings who believe in taking their lives and lives of others,” he said.
Akpabio maintained that Islam prohibits suicide and killing of others, arguing that claims about suicide bombers expecting rewards in paradise should not be used to misrepresent religion.
His remarks came amid broader discussions about interpretation of religious beliefs and need to distinguish extremist violence from faiths that perpetrators may claim to represent.
