Nigerians woke up some weeks ago with the News of a bill termed “HATE SPEECH BILL”, with death penalty for victims who promote hate speech, The Senate has disowned itself from the Hate Speech Bill which passed first reading last week, saying that it is a personal bill from the sponsor.
Addressing Journalists Monday, acting Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Godiya Akwashiki, All Progressives Congress, APC, Nasarawa South said that contrary to widespread impression, the bill was not the idea of the 9th Senate.
Recall that a Bill to Establish a Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speeches resurfaced in the Senate last week.
READ ALSO: HATE SPEECH BILL: No Cause For Alarm – Senate To Nigerians
The Bill titled, “National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speeches (Est, etc) Bill, 2019(SB.154) and sponsored by the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, All Progressives Congress, APC, Niger North was read the first time at Plenary.
Akwashiki who noted that it was solely being sponsored by the Deputy Chief Whip, Sabi Abdullahi, based on his conviction, however, described as unfortunate, the statement credited to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP which insinuated that the bill was a Senate bill, skewed to make the alleged third term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He maintained that the fate of the bill would be determined on the floor of the Senate after a robust debate by senators.
Meanwhile, the ex-spokesperson for the Senate who sponsored the bill insisted at a news briefing on Monday that his proposed legislation was aimed at achieving peace in the country.
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