Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, has said he was willing to moderate certain provisions of his bill, ”Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speeches.”
The bill sponsored by the senator representing Niger North has since passed first reading.
The bill prescribed death penalty by hanging upon conviction for any person found guilty for any form of hate speech that results in the death of another person. The Bill defined hate speech as comments that insult people for their religion, ethnic, linguistic affiliation, racial contempt among others.
But Senator Abdullahi in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen at the weekend said the death penalty proposed for anyone found culpable of hate speech that leads to the death of another, would be amended by the Senate when the bill is subjected to legislative input by the National Assembly.
He said the Senate was determined to ensure that the clauses contained in its provisions to be passed into law reflect the views of Nigerians.
In an apparent reference to criticisms trailing the controversial bill, Senator Abdullahi said, ”the Senate welcomes contributions and inputs by critics and supporters of the bill, as these would go a long way towards giving Nigerians the much-awaited law to address the disturbing trend of hate speech.”
Hate speech, according to him, has led to the death of many and is a major factor behind depression and suicide in Nigeria.
Abdullahi said: “We have followed closely arguments for and against the hate speech bill, and seen the reason why some kicked against it.
“Given the high respect which we have for Nigerians, we will make an amendment to the death penalty aspect that most Nigerians objected to so that a bill that meets their expectations is passed into law.
ALSO READ: Buhari sympathises with East, Central Africa over deadly floods, mudslides
“Clearly from the conversations, Nigerians agree that we have a problem in the society today as a result of hate speech which has fueled so many killings and violence, and is responsible for cases of depression and suicides.”
Citing a World Health Organisation report, Abdullahi disclosed that Nigeria which is the seventh-largest country in the world “has Africa’s highest rate of depression and ranks fifth in the world frequency of suicide.”
The lawmaker explained that the Independent National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speech to be established will guard against every act of discrimination against Nigerians by way of victimisation.
The Commission, according to Abdullahi, will have an executive chairperson, a secretary and twelve commissioners appointed through a rigorous process involving the National Council of State, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the National Assembly.
In order to protect the independence of the commission, he stated that the bill provides that those qualified to be appointed as members of the commission must not be: members of the National Assembly or any government in authority at the local, state or federal levels.
The lawmaker added that any person, who is a member of any political party or known to be affiliated with partisan politics or has promoted sectional, ethnic, religious causes or openly advocated partisan ethnic positions or interest, stands disqualified from being appointed to serve on the commission.
“The overall concern is to curb violence and unnecessary loss of lives and livelihoods of Nigerians due to hate-induced violence,” Abdullahi added.
and then