OF THE PROPOSED HATE SPEECH BILL AND THE IMPENDING FATE OF THE GOVERNED
By: Yusuff Uthman Adekola
The Nigerian populace has been recently fed with an acidulous legislative proposition which many have found uncanny and misrepresentative. The sour proposition, one that insidiously —like the creepy manifestation of HIV/AIDS— contravenes the tenets of democracy which we claim to practice, was that 'hate speech' be accorded certain legal punishment. Then, one's mind cannot but be forced into the wondrous search for what really could have been meant by the phrase, 'hate speech’. Could it have been the unpleasant jibes political parties as well as politicians make at one another in certain political situations— such as during campaigns and other electioneering processes? Or the democratically expected checking and criticism of the representative leaders by the citizens? These questions amongst many more have seized the deck, for contemplative consideration.
To the dismay occasioned by the proposed bill, I, as a citizen, am obliged to further curiously ask: are we still in a democracy or we are introducing a new one blended with dictatorship— perhaps thus giving us a ‘militro-democratic’ governance system? The fact however is, there is no magnitude of elusive or delusive definition that will satisfactorily exonerate the intended bill from its undemocratic blot. And this blot being pointed at is the portended suffocation and suppression of the freedom of speech and expression, a sine qua non of democracy at that. Another question, thereon, takes a seat in the mind: what is a representative government without the tolerance of a reactive populace?
Although the senator who is the proponent of the bill did laudably provide an explanation of the so-called ‘hate speech bill'— as he mentioned unhealthy inter-tribal, inter-religious and some other inter-ideological talks that may incite undesirable clashes—, we still cannot and should not gullibly take it as all that there is to it. I mean, it is quite vehemently arguable that that so-wanted bill and its advocated ‘Independent National Commission for Hate Speeches’ could possibly be none but an instrument of inhibiting criticisms from the public, as the citizens will consequently become bullied into the fear of being sentenced to death. Fact be told, this, actually, is inferable to be a subtle means of patching the supposed political leader's impunity with more power, since all prospectively challenging mouths must have been gagged.
To bring the argument to a clean platter, one must of course state that there really might be some who go past the bearable, in tackling certain sensitive issues. They go about engaging in injurious name calling, character defamation, amongst other possible bellicose engagements, so much so that detrimental resultant effects come springing up. But, I posit: it is left to whosoever falls victim of such to seek redress in a court of law. And, yes, in such cases where there is a life-threatening augury, the security agencies and establishments we have across the country should suffice, except that it is quite pathetic that the porosity of our security system remains unmatched by a sandy soil's.
As can be deduced from the foregoing, there are more sorely pressing issues at hand than the issue of death sentence for the dubitable 'hate speech bill'. Let the security forces be well empowered with adequate funding and management; let the selfishly secured policemen guarding the so-called 'VIPs' and politicians be truly relieved, as recently promised by the erstwhile errant IGP, for it will eventually be to the masses' needed favour; let unnecessary political monetary and other entitlements be considerately excised, all for the betterment and uplift of the nation and her inhabitants. Let all of these and other necessary positivity be ensured and see how ‘love speeches’ would seize the air with wide condensation.
The A-Z of my argument is simply that this proposed bill beams at the possibility of stifling voices that would normally challenge certain dubious actions or considerations. It is hence portentous of a situation where no one is free to express their opinions; where protests must have been a product of deep ruminations, for lack of knowledge of whether death sentence would be the end, and where political analysts and commentators constrainedly shuffle, examine and pick their words. All these, aforementioned, may be so, because nobody will know for sure where or when they may make a 'hate speech’, as so-called.
The government is therefore urged to kindly ensure doing away with the proposed ‘hate speech bill'. May we please focus on more attention-requiring issues?
READ ALSO: FOR THE NOBLE NIGERIA: GRATIFYING OUR LEADERS OF HONOUR
Writer's Bio:
Yusuff Uthman Adekola is a student of the Department of English at University of Ibadan. He may be reached via adekolayusuff@gmail.com .
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