The Senate has clarified that the ongoing amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act, 2007, does not seek to prohibit preaching or other religious activities in public spaces.
The clarification was contained in a statement issued by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Office of the Leader of the Senate Opeyemi Bamidele in Abuja on Monday.
This is in response to public concerns over purported provisions prohibiting preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles.
According to the statement, preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles are already offences under Section 10(4) of the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act, 2007 and Regulation 220 of the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2012.
It said the provisions were entrenched as Item 36 in the Second Schedule of the Act and had been part of Nigeria’s legal framework since 2007.
The statement added that they are now listed as Item 49 in the Second Schedule under the proposed amendment.
“The Bill, therefore, does not outlaw preaching on the streets as some interests have claimed in different fora.
“It is about the safety of commuters and other road users and is not intended to undermine any religious activity in the public space,” the statement said.
The Senate also clarified that the bill was not an initiative of the Leader of the Senate, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, but a concurrence bill first amended by the House of Representatives.
It explained that, in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the bill required the concurrence of the Senate before it could become effective.
The statement noted that the amendment process was still ongoing, urging stakeholders with concerns to channel them to the appropriate institutions before the completion of the legislative process.
“In the spirit of democracy, stakeholders can channel their concerns to the appropriate institutions before the completion of the process,” it added.
