Why we are proposing Preaching Bill – Kaduna govt

The Kaduna State government, on Wednesday, met with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, over concerns raised relating to the Religious Preaching Bill before the state House of Assembly, saying it only wants to ensure safe practice of religion.

The state’s deputy governor, Barnabas Yusuf Bala, who led the government delegation, was said to have at a point met behind closed doors with the CAN delegation led by the state chairman of the organisation,  Dr. George Dodo at the old chamber of the Kashim Ibrahim House

The Kaduna deputy governor, at the oppening of the session, told the CAN delegation that the bill was necessary to curb religious extremism and hate speech, adding that government has a duty to ensure that religious violence no longer threatens the state and that the government was committed to ensuring that religion can be practiced in a safe and secure climate.

Bala further explained that the Religious Preaching Law was not new in the state, adding that the military that created the law were merely responding to religious crises in the state between 1983 and 1987.

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“This is the first time that the legislation is passing through a democratic process, with all the transparency that the public hearing and other legislative processes of the House of Assembly entails.

“We swore to uphold the Constitution which recognizes the freedom of religion and thought as fundamental rights. The same Constitution obliges us to ensure the safe exercise of these rights by legislating in the interest of public safety, public order, public morality or public health, and for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom of other persons.

“This is not a new law. It has existed since 1984, with amendments in 1987 and 1996. The military governments which created the law were responding to outbreaks of religious violence such as Maitatsine in 1983; the riots after the  Kafanchan incidence of 1987.

According to the deputy governor, the proposed amendment is a deliberate decision by the government to subject the law to a democratic process, rather than just enforce the provisions of the edict as passed since 1984.

Continuing, Bala said Kaduna State has a history of Religious/Sectarian Crisis, adding that the Bill only seeks to learn from the painful experience of the past and discourage the use of religion for violence and division.

“The Bill, by virtue of Section 45(1) of the 1999 Constitution, is in order and does not offend the provisions of the constitution. The provisions of the Bill are in tandem with the Constitution.”

He further noted that there was nothing to suggest that government is out to “abolish, stop or derogate on the freedom of religion and religious beliefs.”

“It merely seeks to ensure that religious preaching and activities in the state are conducted in ways that do not threaten public order, public safety, and to protect the rights and freedom of other persons”.

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