THE Senate has clarified that the Bill for the amendment of the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act does not outlaw street preaching or introduce a new prohibition on hawking.
A clarification issued on Monday, July 27, by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Office of the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, stressed that Section 10(4) of the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act, 2007, and Regulation 220 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, prohibit such activities long before the current amendment process began.
It said the provisions were originally listed as Item 36 in the Second Schedule of the 2007 Act and have now been moved to Item 49 under the ongoing amendment, noting that the Bill should not be interpreted as a wider restriction on religious activities or preaching in public spaces, adding: “The Bill does not outlaw preaching on the streets, as some interests have claimed in different fora,” but designed around the safety of commuters and other road users.
The Senate also distanced Bamidele from reports that he initiated the controversial provision, saying the legislation is a Concurrence Bill first amended by the House of Representatives and requiring the senate’s approval to become law.
The senate stated that the amendment process was still underway, urging stakeholders who have reservations about any provision to make their concerns known through the appropriate legislative channels, as such engagement are part of the democratic process that takes place before a Bill is finally passed.
