Ekweremadu denies sponsoring bill to legalise prostitution

Ekweremadu told  journalists at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, that the report attributed to him was an attempt by some mischievous people to distract the National Assembly from its statutory functions.

Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu speaking to Aviation Journalists at the Presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. PHOTO: Lamidi Bamidele

“I think this is total mischief by some mischievous people; you know there is no Bill before the Senate, there is none before the entire National Assembly and nobody is talking about legalising prostitution.
“I don’t know where they got that from but like I said, that this is the beauty of democracy. So, people are entitled to say whatever they want to say, otherwise you will just get distracted,’’ he said.
On the planned removal of fuel subsidy, the Deputy Senate President called for the sensitisation of Nigerians about the proposal, saying that some cabals were holding the country hostage.
“I think it is a very sensitive matter to handle; there is absolute need for the refineries to be up and running. So, we really need to fix our refineries before the subsidy is removed.
“The Federal Government need to publish the names of all those who are infringing…. because it is just a handful of people who are milking us dry and we cannot continue in that manner,” he said.
Ekweremaduadded that it was necessary to publish the names of those who were holding the country to ransom on oil, just like the Federal Government did during the restructuring of banks.
Meanwhile, some clerics in Lagos on Sunday said Nigeria has more pressing needs than wasting energy on whether to legalise prostitution or not.
Monsignor Gabriel Osu, Director of Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, said  legalising prostitution was not Nigeria’s priority for now.
“Prostitution is not our problem for now, our problem is bad education, bad morals, bad human management, that has even led so many people into prostitution and doing drugs,” he said.
Osuurged Nigeria’s lawmakers to face the reality and give Nigerians good governance, good education and good moral upbringing to minimise prostitution.
NAN reports that the Deputy Senate President, Mr Ike Ekweremadu, has, however, explained that he did not suggest legalising prostitution during a debate on Human Trafficking in the Senate on Oct. 5.
.“Prostitution is not even fashionable, our custom and tradition does not encourage it, but a product of systemic failure in the society.
“Prostitution is not something that should be glamorised, scripturally, it is condemnable and we say no to it,” Osu said.
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