Regulating religious preaching in Kaduna

A bill to substitute the Religious Preaching Law 1984 which is currently before the Kaduna State House of Assembly is facing stiff opposition from both Christian and Muslim leaders who consider it to be an attempt to inhibit religious practice. According to the House Majority Leader Inuwa Dogo, the Executive Bill seeks to regulate religious […]

A bill to substitute the Religious Preaching Law 1984 which is currently before the Kaduna State House of Assembly is facing stiff opposition from both Christian and Muslim leaders who consider it to be an attempt to inhibit religious practice. According to the House Majority Leader Inuwa Dogo, the Executive Bill seeks to regulate religious preaching and stipulate punishment for violators.
The bill titled ‘A Bill For A Law To Substitute The Kaduna State Religious Preaching Law, 1984’ requires a preacher in Kaduna State to obtain a preaching permit from the state government. The license is renewable every year. The bill forbids the playing of evangelical tapes and CDs in public places and allows loud speakers to be used only inside churches and mosques but not beyond 8.00pm. Street evangelism may be criminalized by this bill since all preaching activities are required to be carried out within churches and mosques. Violators are liable to a fine of N200,000.
According to the bill, a preacher could lose preaching rights if government or its agencies consider his or her preaching to be offensive. Preachers found guilty of provocative preaching are liable if convicted to two years’ imprisonment or N200,000 fine or both. Among the many reactions to the bill, Vice Chairman of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) in Kaduna State Rev. Emma Egoh accused Governor Nasiru El-Rufa’i of plotting to cage ministers of God and stifle evangelism in the state. He said the bill is a breach of the 1999 Constitution’s provisions for freedom of religion and worship.
A special adviser to former Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, Sheikh Haliru Maraya, also described the bill which seeks to restrict preaching to only licensed preachers as a waste of time and resources. He said, “Islam has given every Muslim the right to religion just as section 38 (1) of the 1999 constitution also gives every Nigerian the right to propagate his religion.” Director General of Interfaith Matters in Kaduna State Engr. Namadi Musa however said the bill was conceived following complaints from the public that some preachers have been maligning their leaders, sects and even their religion. People also complained about the high level of noise some preachers subject them to, especially at odd hours of the night. Musa said the bill would not breach anyone’s freedom of religion.
Given the character of the Nigerian society where even those who lack the basic knowledge of their religion could suddenly become preachers, we believe it is important to scrutinize preachers and ensure that only those who possess the requisite knowledge are allowed to preach. Kaduna State in particular has a volatile religious mix which requires very careful handling. However, we think the absence of a stakeholders’ meeting on the Kaduna bill is responsible for the misinterpretations it is suffering from. The heated reactions from Christian and Muslim groups to the bill are attributable to government’s failure to sensitize citizens through public hearings where details of the bill including its background, purpose and significance should have been discussed by all stakeholders.
While the 1999 constitution grants Nigerians the right to freedom of religion, like all other constitutional rights and freedoms this is subject to regulation. For instance, the rise of Boko Haram insurgents which Nigeria is still battling to exterminate is a consequence of un-regulated preaching activities which enabled the easy spread of sect leader Mohammed Yusuf’s misguided message. Many religious crises experienced in different parts of the country in the past were traceable to extremist tendencies of preachers who see themselves as exercising their right to freedom of religion. Such excesses must be curbed, given our Boko Haram experience, and this does not constitute violation of a constitutional right. We support the Kaduna State Government’s attempt to regulate religious preaching. The final content of the bill is however very crucial. We urge the Kaduna State House of Assembly to first of all hold public hearings on the bill and listen to all stakeholders before it passes the bill into law.