Bill to establish National Religious Harmony Commission passes second reading

A bill to establish a National Religious Harmony Commission which would tackle religious offences, promote religious freedom and also provide a statutory framework for the protection of basic human rights of Nigerians, has passed its second reading .

The bill sponsored by President Femi Gbajabiamila and Abubakar Hassan Fulata (APC, Jigawa) was presented for second reading on Tuesday, September 27. It empowers the commission to investigate cases of religious discrimination, victimization and harassment in all facets of Nigeria. and prosecute offenders.

It would also “monitor incidents of religious extremism, including hate speech and other actions and utterances intended to incite violent passions and prosecute offenders; provide an early warning system to government and law enforcement to detect and prevent actions that may incite religious violence and the breakdown of public order”.

The bill was passed by the House after a vocal vote proposed by the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who chaired the plenary.