Former Senator, Chris Anyanwu, Sponsor Of Sexual Offences Bill Replies Soyinka

Professor Wole Soyinka

A former Senator, Chris Anyanwu, has said that the Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka’s criticism of the Sexual Offences Bill was based on his lack of knowledge about the bill.

In an open letter addressed to Mr. Soyinka, Sunday, Mrs. Anyanwu said when implemented, the bill would mitigate the sufferings of parents by reducing their fear of what happens to their children in their absence – at schools, in the play grounds, in the neighbourhoods, and in religious spaces.

“You have been misled by the misinformation circulated by someone who could not read or comprehend a legal draft; someone who did not have the patience to read through a proposal, see what was recommended and what was finally accepted,” Mrs. Anyanwu, who represented Imo East in the 7th Assembly, said in the letter.

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“You were misled by someone who deliberately distorted the content of one of the most profound bills ever passed by the Nigerian legislature, scandalized the proponent and the institution for reasons that you and I may not know.” 

Mr. Soyinka had, on Friday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to withhold his assent to the bill (which is also known as the anti-rape bill) passed by the last National Assembly.

According to Mr. Soyinka, a nation should not be founded on the sexual exploitation of the fragile and innocent.

“President Buhari – and here I make my first imposition on his presidency – should never place his assent on such a nefarious distraction,” Mr. Soyinka had said.

“Its implications doom the victim to afflictions that churn the stomach even to think of the human toll. Perhaps those legislators think that vaginal fistula is something thought up by arm-chair critics with nothing better to occupy their minds. No matter, let those who profess a genuine concern declare their stand on this.”

Also, on Sunday, human rights lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, had threatened to go to court if the controversial bill receives a presidential assent.

Mrs. Anyanwu said by passing the bill, the National Assembly had kept faith with the people of Nigeria by providing the cover of protection under which Nigerian children can live normal lives of fulfilment without fear. 

“By your robust advocacy against the bill preventing sexual abuses of children, you foreclose the future of children in this society,” the former Senator said. 

“But if I read you correctly, I have no doubt that you will reverse yourself on this once you have the correct information. This is why I have written you this letter.”

Mrs. Anyanwu said Mr. Soyinka’s first “imposition” on President Buhari is based on his understanding of the false information circulated by the very offenders he despised. 

“I plead with you as a man who has been found to be a great man of honour and bestowed with the highest literary honour in the world to reconsider,” she said.

“Let me on behalf of the innumerable victims of abuse in Nigeria; let me invoke the spirit of Cynthia who fell victim in Lagos; and let me plead on behalf of the many wives and husbands deliberately infected with HIV by their partners whose suffering impelled this bill, that you reverse your instruction to Mr. President. 

“The President of the Federal Republic looks to old sages like you for positive direction. That was what you intended to give him. 

“But now that you know the truth, for the sake of your long established reputation and known love for Nigeria, turn it around and urge Mr. President to sign this bill that will protect our people, restore sanity to society and make Nigeria a better place for all.”

‘Extreme Distortion’

The Sexual Offences Bill, 2015, was among the 46 bills passed by the 7th Senate in a last minute flurry of activities last week.

The bill stipulates a life imprisonment for any individual found guilty of rape or sexual intercourse with children under 11 years; 10 years for incest; 10 years for child pornography or a fine of N2 million; and 14 years for sexual abuse, among others.

But Mrs. Anyanwu insisted that nowhere in the bill passed by Senate was it stated that an 11 year old could be defiled.

“Nowhere in the bill passed by the Senate was the age ’11 years’ mentioned,” she said. 

“Here is what was passed in relation to your area of pre-occupation which is defilement clause 6 (2): ‘A person who commits an offence of defilement shall upon conviction be sentenced to imprisonment for life.’

“You claimed that the bill re-defined ‘female adulthood as marital status.’ Where in the bill proposed by me and where in the bill passed by Senate did you see adulthood linked to marital status? The extreme distortion of the spirit, intent and even content of this bill leads me to think that you may be talking about an all-together different piece of legislation. 

“For emphasis, let me state that the bill makes no such linkages as you erroneously stated. I think it may be fear of Sen Yerima that is at play here. 

“For your information, Senator Yerima and all other Senators who participated in the debate the two times the bill came up on the floor supported it as a vehicle for instituting a stringent law barring all ranges of sexual offences in Nigeria. 

“They did this because they also have children, wives, daughters, even mothers and cannot afford to leave them in the current state where abuses are rewarded with a slap on the wrist of the perpetrators because our laws are outdated, without strong in-built deterrence and mechanisms for monitoring and control are absent.”

Mrs. Anyanwu described criticisms against the bill as another case of people demonizing what is clearly in the public good because of deeply-set negative pre-dispositions towards individuals in an institution.

“By your strong advocacy against the bill, you have unwittingly stamped your feet in favour of maintaining the status quo,” she said. 

“Where we are now, the status quo is a world in which a six year old child is raped to death and then set ablaze. Where we are now is a place where a father rapes his 3 year old boys repeatedly and the mother weeps at night and cannot speak out of shame and fear of her life. 

“Where we are now is a place where young Cynthia in her struggles for self-employment ran into a gang who drugged her, raped and murdered her. Where we are now is a place where foreigners come for tourism and turn children into their objects of tourism. 

“With all due respect, sir, I want to express my deep disappointment with your hastiness in flowing with the mob on this matter. I blame your press officers. I think they should have advised caution. You have known me since the 1990’s. There is no way you could have sent fellers and I would not jump into the next flight to answer you. 

“In fact, a mere telephone call could have dispensed with the matter. If you had even asked someone to get you a copy of the votes and proceedings of Senate for that day which published the exact words in the legislation passed, you would have spared yourself the time and emotions spent over what is clear mischief circulated through the web.”

Mrs. Anyanwu also described critics of the bill as hate-mongers who are merely taking advantage of the negative public feelings they have built up against the legislature.

“I suspect that some of those fighting against the bill are fixating on the short title,” she said. “Its long title shows what it is: a sexual offences prevention bill; a tough deterrence to crime.

“I want you to take time and read the final copy of the bill. You will be proud. You will realize that good things can come from Nigeria and Nigerians. It is not only legislation initiated by outsiders and handed to us locals to push for their passage that should be deemed as good for us.”