Geidam, Odua join hate speech advocates in the Senate

Two new bills are before the Senate, each, seeking the establishment of a commission to control how Nigerians interact on public issues or incur the wrath of the government.

The two new bills are sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Geidam representing Yobe East and Stella Adaeze Odua representing Anambra North in the upper legislative chamber of the Nigerian parliament.

Tribune Online can report that as both senators become new advocates of hate speech bill in the Senate it has increased the number of hate speech bills before the Senate for considerations.

All the bills have one thing in common, with each seeking establishment of a Commission that would control how Nigerians express themselves in the public space.

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The bills are sponsored under various long and short titles but fix fines of between N1m and N5m fine with an option of between one year to five years imprisonment or both for those convicted by the laws if eventually passed and assented to by the President.

“A bill for an Act to provide for establishment of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission: to outlaw discrimination on ethnic grounds; provide for establishment of an institutional framework for National Cohesion and peacebuilding: and for connected purpose, 2019” was sponsored by former Governor of Yobe state, Senator Ibrahim Geidam who is representing Yobe East.

The bill has a short title: “National Cohesion and Integrated Commission.”

Chapter four of the bill, published in the National Assembly Journal No,12 Vol, 16 prescribes a jail term of five years or fine not more than one million or both for any individual convicted by the provisions of the bill.

It further prescribes that the principal officer of any website which contravenes the provision of the bill if passed should be “held personally liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N5million or to a term not exceeding five years, or both.

These penalties would be invoked if any individual or corporate entity, “utter, publish, post words or images intended to invite feelings of contempt, hatred, hostility, violence or discrimination against any person group or community on the basis of ethnicity or race.” Section 34(1,3) stated.

The bill also prescribed a fine of N200,000 or one-year imprisonment or both to any person who misleads the commission.

Senator, Stella Adaeze Odua, representing Anambra North in her bill unlike the other bills on hate speech is seeking the establishment of a commission to rely on existing laws to prosecute offenders of hate speech.

The bill sponsored by Senator Odua is entitled: A bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of National Religious Equity Commission and to Prohibit all forms of religious discrimination, religious discrimination, religious victimisation, religious harassment, hate speech and for Matter connected therewith.”

The bill otherwise known as the National Equity Commission bill said: “the commission shall have powers to do all things which are by this Act or any other enactment are required or permitted of its function under this Act.”

It further said that the commission would monitor, investigate and prosecute all cases of religious discrimination, victimisation and harassment and take such other actions as it may seem expedient in each class circumstance;

“Assist victims of religious discrimination or violations and seek appropriate redress and remedies on their behalf, the bill published in the National Assembly Journal No. 04 Vol. 16.

These are besides the two bills sponsored by Niger State Senators Muhammed Sani and Aliyu Sabi representing Niger East and North respectively, which have received widespread condemnation, Tribune can state that two other bills which serve a similar purpose are in the waiting to be considered by the Senate.

The Whip of the Senate, Senator, Sabi in his vexed hate speech bill, properly entitled: “A bill for an act to provide for the prohibition of hate speeches and for other related matters,” wanted people hanged as his bill pushed for death penalty by hanging for an offender of the provision of the bill which has a short beautiful title: ‘National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speeches.”

Public condemnation of the bill has made him recanted on the death penalty by hanging.

The version sponsored by Senator Musa reads; “A bill for an act to make for the protection from internet falsehood and manipulations and other related matters.”

It prescribed an individual offender N300,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both; or in any other case, to a fine not exceeding N10m.

It would be recalled that the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan has said the survival of the bill, would be dependent on the disposition of the Nigerian people as the Senate would consider the sentiment of the public to decide the fate of the bill.