An Abuja-based Senior lawyer, Dr. Mike Ozhekome has said that the hate speech bill which scaled through first reading on Tuesday in the Senate was the most draconian piece of legislation.<\/p>\n
Reacting to the development in Abuja immediately the bill which was sponsored by Senator Sabi Abdullahi representing Niger North Senatorial district was introduced, Mike Ozekhome who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged Senators to kill the bill during second reading.<\/p>\n
He described the present administration as \u2018maverick and intolerant\u2019, that should not be trusted with this kind of bill.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cit is a nonsensical legislation that was waiting to consume Nigerians if allowed,\u201d, adding that Buhari-led government has failed the test of criticisms.<\/p>\n
According to him, the content of the bill was in conflict with section 39 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, saying that allowing the bill would create constitutional crisis.<\/p>\n
Ozekhome said:<\/p>\n
\u201cA bill sponsored by the Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Aliyu Sabi, who incidentally was the Spokesperson for the Senate in the 8th National Assmbly, is said to have passed the first reading on Tuesday,12th November, 2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of the bizarre provisions in the said bill are said to contain prescription of the death penalty for makers of hate speech.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is hate speech by the way and who defines it? What is the true test of determining it? Is the test that of a government in power? Or that of the traumatised people? Or that of the NASS? Or that of the Courts? Or,that of the Executive? Just who?<\/p>\n
\u201cI have not yet had the opportunity to read the bill and so do not yet have the details of this unusual bill that has allegedly passed the first reading, seeking the death penalty (by hanging) on alleged hate speech.<\/p>\n
\u201cI pray this provision is not true. I pray it is a mere moonlight tale, the type described as a \u201ctale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis bill should be deleted immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bill should immediately be aborted and killed as a malformed embryo at its second reading gestation stage,before it is allowed to be delivered as a societal monster.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me quickly warn that this maverick and intolerant government cannot be trusted by any sane person to fairly operate such a draconian piece of legislation introduced under a law that carries the death penalty,for alleged hate speech.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen has merely making a speech under section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression become not just treasonable felony (life imprisonment), but treason itself, that is punishable with death?<\/p>\n
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees \u201cfreedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cNigeria is a signatory to this international instrument. Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, also domesticated in Nigeria, reinforces this inalienable freedom that the NASS is attempting to derobe and destroy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bill is an ill-intentioned, ill-conceived, ill-digested and ill-part read dictatorial and absolutist piece of nonsensical legislation waiting to consume all of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn obnoxious law such as this will further drive underground and into hiding, the opposition and genuine social critics who speak truth to power and criticise serial opaque, anti-people, corrupt and high-handed polices of government.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis government has been tested and known to be very allergic to constructive criticisms. Its skin is very negatively thin against criticisms as regards citizens\u2019 genuine concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a government that listens to itself, sets its own examination questions, marks them by itself and award marks to itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cCitizens\u2019 opinion does not matter.That is why we have topmost government officials who shock the conscience of Nigerians and the world by saying, for example,that insecurity in Nigeria\u201d, he concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An Abuja-based Senior lawyer, Dr. Mike Ozhekome has said that the hate speech bill which scaled through first reading on Tuesday in the Senate was the most draconian piece of legislation. Reacting to the development in Abuja immediately the bill which was sponsored by Senator Sabi Abdullahi representing Niger North Senatorial district was introduced, Mike […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":17934,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,19],"tags":[97,1151,1150],"class_list":["post-17933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-beyond-the-news","tag-buhari","tag-national-assmbly","tag-ozekhome"],"yoast_head":"\n