Hate-Speech Bill for Nigerians to decide – TheNigerialawyer

* PIB, electoral reform to get lawmakers’ attention

Nigerians will have the opportunity to decide whether the
controversial Hate-Speech Bill will be passed, Senate President
Ahmad Lawan promised on Monday.

The Hate-Speech Bill has attracted barrage of attacks from
prominent Nigerians since it was presented by its sponsor, Senator
Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.

According to Lawan, there is an opportunity for every interested
person to say if they wanted the bill passed or not.

He said: “Hate speech (bill) is one issue that has elicited so
much reaction from Nigerians.

“Personally, I’m happy that everybody is talking. It is not for
members of the National Assembly alone to deal with the Hate-Speech
Bill.

“Like I said at the beginning, it is for every interested
person. If you say the Hate-Speech Bill should not pass, when they
conduct the public hearing, get as many people against the bill as
possible to attend the public hearing and make their case.

“I am sure it is better for me to stop to talk about hate speech
so that I don’t also engage in hate speech.”

Lawan spoke on Monday while unveiling the activities of the
Senate under his leadership in the last six months.

On the labeling of the National Assembly as a rubber stamp,
Lawan said it would only be proper to say so if it was doing
“rubber stamp” biddings of the Executive.

He said: “Let me take this opportunity to appeal, judge us by
what we do. Judge us by our actions. We have undertaken so many
actions so far, and the press has been in this journey with us.
Please judge us by what we do and what we don’t.

“There is no way we can for example pass into law something that
will be inimical to the people of Nigeria. No, we can’t.

“But we will do everything possible to ensure that we legislate
on what will make life better for Nigerians and we have shown the
sign so far.

“We have tried in the Senate to remain united, focused and
deliver on what is good for Nigeria. So far, I think we have not
done anything to show that even if a request is against Nigerians,
it will be passed.

“But I don’t want to even imagine a situation where the National
Assembly will be mean to Nigerians because we are a microcosm of
Nigeria.

“That settles the issue of rubber stamp. Because when we do
rubber stamp, you can say this is rubber stamp. But if we do what
is right, please encourage us because it helps.”

Lawan promised that the 9th National Assembly would do things
differently to break the jinx with the passage of the Petroleum
Industry Bill (PIB) next year.

He added that the Senate as a matter of urgency, had prioritised
the consideration of the PIB alongside reforms of the Electoral Act
on return from the Christmas break in January.

He said: “The Petroleum Industry Bill was first introduced in
the National Assembly in 2007 but it is yet to be passed in its
entirety.

“The National Assembly will this time around adopt a different
approach to make the passage of the PIB a reality.

“We want to see a situation where the Legislature and the
Executive work very closely to have a PIB that will attract
investment into the oil and gas sector.

“We want to create an investment climate that will be
competitive. We know some other countries have this product;
therefore we have to be competitive. We have to create an
environment where the businesses make profit.

“This is a journey that involves everyone. We want both
government – and that includes the legislature and executive – on
the one hand and other relevant stakeholders in the sector,
particularly the IOCs (International Oil Companies) to work
together to ensure that this environment we are trying to create is
an environment that will work for all of us.”

Lawan said the Electoral Reforms Bill is also of great priority
to the National Assembly.

“The Electoral Reforms Amendment Bill is a priority because of
the urgent need to improve our electoral processes and secure the
democratic gains that we have made in the Fourth Republic.

“We want to pass the bill well ahead of the next electoral cycle
in 2023 and avoid the political heat and pitfalls that imperiled
the efforts of the Eight National Assembly which passed the same
bill close to the last general elections.

“We are not oblivious of the interest and concerns some of these
bills have generated from the public. But, we must not forget that
lawmaking is a rigorous process that allows for all sides of the
argument to be heard and the true will of the people established
before a bill becomes law.”

“This Senate and indeed the ninth National Assembly will not
pass any bill that is not in the national interest. Ours is and
will remain a Senate that will always work for Nigerians. “

The Senate President said in the last six months, the Senate
recorded a feat with the passage of six critical bills needed to
accelerate the economy.

He added that the bills would complement the successful
implementation of the 2020 budget which was recently passed by the
National Assembly.

Among the critical bills passed are the Deep Off-shore and
Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract Act and the Finance
bills.

“The three other bills that we have passed are the Public
Procurement Act 2007 (Amendment) Bills, 2019, which we did to
sanitise the public procurement process and curtail the incidence
and influence of corruption.

Lawan added: “Aside from the six bills that were passed, 185
bills have also gone through first reading in the ninth Senate,
while 32 other Bills have passed second reading and are now
undergoing the necessary further legislative processes at the
relevant Senate committees.

”As part of its statutory roles, the ninth Senate has also
confirmed 12 key appointments, including those of the Chief Justice
of Nigeria, ministers, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court,
President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria; and chairmen
and members of eight commissions, services and corporations.

Lawan added that the Senate had, within the past six months,
received 78 public petitions which were referred to its committee
on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.

Most of these petitions, according to him, were presented by
private citizens with grievances against agencies or agents of
government.

He assured that severance allowances of legislative aides who
served in the Eighth National Assembly would be paid by the end of
this week.