The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has refuted claims that it is considering a bill seeking to criminalise adultery, describing the report circulating on social media and some online platforms as false.
According to the Assembly, the story alleging the existence of such legislation is a piece of fake news with no basis in the activities of the House.
The online report had claimed that the bill was sponsored and promoted by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Akon Eyakenyi.
It further alleged that the proposed legislation prescribed a 10-year jail term without an option of fine for a convicted adulterous woman, while the defaulting man would be liable to pay a fine of N2 million.
Reacting to the report, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong, dismissed the claim, describing it as a figment of the imagination of those spreading it.
He stated that no such bill had ever been presented before the Assembly, let alone considered or passed into law.
In a statement issued through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Elder Emmanuel Ebong, Otong said, “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.”
The Speaker explained that legislative bills must undergo laid-down procedures, including plenary deliberation, first and second readings, and a public hearing, before they can be passed and forwarded to the governor for assent.
He noted that none of these processes had taken place with respect to the alleged bill, contrary to claims circulating in the public space.
Otong therefore advised members of the public to disregard the report and always verify information, particularly those originating from unregulated social media platforms.
Similarly, the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Mr. Ormen Bassey, also denied the claim linking Dr. Eyakenyi to the sponsorship of the purported bill.
Bassey maintained that the Deputy Governor had no involvement whatsoever in the alleged legislation.
