Dr. Jonathan said although the issue of birth regulation was so sensitive, government could not fold its arms until the country’s population grew out of control. The President was speaking at the inauguration of members of the National Population Commission (NPC) at the Presidential Villa in the capital, Abuja. He cautioned that religious beliefs should not be used to frustrate a good policy. The President reassured the people that government would carry out enough sensitisation before presenting a bill on birth and population control.
The Nigerian leader pointed out that for the country to plan properly, the population needed to be kept under check. He however admitted that the country’s Christians, Moslems and traditionalists alike, believe that children are gifts from God.
Reacting to the announcement, the Chief Imam of the Tudun Jukun Juma’at mosque, Zaria in northern Nigeria, Sheikh Aliyu Abdullahi Telex, told the Daily Trust newspaper that the failure of government to efficiently utilise human and natural resources - rather than population growth - was the country’s main problem. He argued that China has the largest population in the world, yet it is now one of the fastest developing countries.
On the other hand, the Plateau State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Phillip Dafes Mwelbish, said by initiating a birth control bill, President Jonathan will be acting against the Biblical injunction that people should be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth. He argued that it was not God’s wish to restrict child birth.
The United Nations has warned that the population of Nigeria could grow from 160 million to 400 million by 2050. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and previous attempts to encourage adults to have fewer children have failed, the BBC said.
