SHOULD HATE SPEECH PEDDLERS BE HUNG BY THE NECK?

ZION B-BC   NEWSLETTER.  

(Looking At Nigeria's Political System From a Godly Perspective).

A Publication of the Zion Faith Bible-Believing Church Kpeyegyi Abuja Nigeria {Vol. 8.NO 368. 30th August, 2020.} “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You   Free! (John.8:32). . PRAY & FAST EVERY WEDNESDAY TO STOP BLOODSHED IN NIGERIA!

SHOULD HATE SPEECH PEDDLERS BE HUNG BY THE NECK?

The growth and success of any nation’s economy would depend largely on the goodwill, co-operation and support of its patriotic citizens whose contributions in human and material resources in support of government to achieve buoyant annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and not on fifth columnists whose stock in trade at every opportunity was the peddling of hate speech that would tarnish the image and vision of those in leadership positions!

In Nigeria, hate speech has become a habit which very unfortunately now competes with the rise in crimes and criminalities that have become albatross that security agents battle relentlessly with, while the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was made to look incapable of containing the ugly situation!  And now, coupled with the un-envisaged Covid-19 pandemic, which has ravaged world economy without exception, Nigeria has to put an end to the unfavourable and notorious challenge for Nigeria’s economy to grow in spite of all odds! 

The economic team of President Muhammadu Buhari, headed by his very diligent Vice, Prof.’Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), supported by the Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning and the Presidential Advisory Economic Council (AEC), have risen up to the task to strengthen all sectors to ensure that the nation will escape an “impending recession” which would have definitely compounded the lot of the downtrodden! But this one vicious enemy called “HATE SPEECH”, which is being deployed recklessly against the current administration in order to bring it down at all cost MUST be checkmated very quickly to avoid national calamity!

No government can thrive under constant bombardment by fifth columnists through the instrument of bad publicity and expect to arrive at any meaningful achievements because no country is an island when it relates to synergy of global economy!

FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS SUPERSEDE HATE SPEECH!
Of recent in Nigeria the issue of hate speech has taken an unacceptable dimension which can be traced to the pre-2015 General Elections when ethnic, tribal and even religious dichotomy almost succeeded to destroy the very concept of Fundamental Human Rights as entrenched in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,  Chapter 4, Section 33-46, where  citizens were inundated with an avalanche of those legislations:  Rights to life;  dignity of human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, right to private and family life, right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Citizens also have right to peaceful assembly and association, right to freedom of movement, right to acquire and own immovable party in Nigeria, etc.
Nigeria’s ruling party through one of the National Assembly Senators has sponsored the Hate Speech Bill, which has generated a lot of debate among various classes/segments especially when one of the recommended penalties was “death by hanging” which was unacceptable to the generality of the people. 

(In our Newsletter of Edition 234 of 8th April, 2018, we advocated for TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR FAKE NEWS AUTHORS BUT NOT DEATH BY HANGING!)  The Bill recommended that anyone found guilty of any form of hate speech that results in the death of another person should be punished through death by hanging!
However, with so much public hue and cry over the issue, the death sentence portion clause was expunged! The HATE SPEECH BILL has gotten so much opposition from the public that it is now difficult for it to go beyond the Second Reading. It was evident that the sponsor of the Bill was much consumed with patriotism and must have forgotten that all those fundamental rights that are contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are sacrosanct and would definitely take care of the freedom of all citizens from being inundated with hate speeches! Please find below excerpts of our earlier publication mentioned above:

“THE SOCIAL MEDIA IN NIGERIA IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS OR INSTITUTIONS!
Many detractors who patronize the Social Media and masquerading under the guise of pseudo names, regularly unleashed libellous publications in the form of character assassination, hate speeches, unprintable abuses/curses etc, on the person of the ruling Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), incumbent President/his management team and members of his family, without recourse to the fundamental rights of the citizens in question!

“IS THE NIGERIAN PRESS LICENSED TO PUBLISH FAKE NEWS ACCORDING TO SECTION 39(1)-(3) (a) (b) OF THE CONSTITUTION?
“The sacred profession of Journalism was given mention in the Nigerian Constitution to play the role of “watchdog” and always ensure government’s accountability to the people because "journalism is synonymous with processed information"!

Before and after the 2015 General elections were contested, won and lost, several Print and Electronic media indulged in dissemination of hate speeches, publications and advertorials with a view to truncating the nation's nascent democracy at  all cost because of selfish inordinate ambitions!
“Daar Communications' Africa Independent Television (AIT), and the National Television Authority (NTA), including some prominent national newspapers occupied the frontline position in character assassination/smear campaigns against President Buhari in particular and were handsomely and promptly paid with the tax-payers money, while the unfortunate citizens were hacked down in cold blood on daily basis by insurgents!

“EXCERPTS FROM AIT'S ALLEGED FACEBOOK ACCOUNT ON FAKE NEWS!
In our Vol. 6, No. 183, of 12th February, 2016 we published the excerpts below:
"Not many people were surprised when a FACEBOOK  ACCOUNT credited to AFRICAN INDEPENDENT TELEVISION (AIT), ANNOUNCED THE RUMOURED DEATH OF PRESIDENT BUHARI in London, on the 23rd January, 2017, because that station, owned by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, Raymond Dokpesi, was notorious for "mercenary" journalism of fabrication, falsehood  and distortion of facts for illicit monetary gains! The transmission of HATE SPEECHES video documentaries on AIT and its sister radio station, RAY POWER against the incumbent President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, during the electioneering campaigns of the 2015 General Elections, as contracted to DAAR Communications Plc, the umbrella body of both stations by ex-President Jonathan's Administration and the subsequent payment of billions of naira for THE HATCHET JOB, is still fresh in the memories of all Nigerians and political development observers around the world!
“Although, DAAR Communications Plc, has denied both ownership and authorship of the FACEBOOK and its content; were they convincing? 

CAN THE AIT’S LEOPARD CHANGE ITS SPOTS?
“Did you remember that between the months of January and March 2015, AIT transmitted hate video documentaries against President Buhari with neither proof nor evidence; that he was a tyrant, a dictator and a religious bigot and was not fit to rule Nigeria in order to discredit and defame his character in the eyes of the Nigerian public/electorate, and that although the APC Party Hierarchy sued DAAR Communications Plc, for N50 billion naira damages, the law suit was deliberately left unpursued and was eventually struck out by Justice John Tsoho, of an Abuja High Court, who remarked that the abandonment was "against court rules?"
“ Did you also remember that during that same period, AIT also defamed APC Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu through similar hate video documentary titled: "Unmasking The Real Tinubu: The Lion of Bourdillon" which showcased him as owner of a vast empire of various properties and companies across Lagos State and was promptly sued for N150 billion naira damages for libel? But in a swift reaction, the organisation quickly tendered an unreserved written apology amid an ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), of an alleged illegal receipt of N2.1 billion by Raymond Dokpesi, to avoid total bankruptcy and an eventual fold-up, because it had a very, very, bad case? Tinubu was magnanimous in victory even as President Buhari, to withdraw the suit from court. The letter of apology in part reads as follows: "DAAR Communications Plc admits that in airing the said documentary, it had no intention, whatsoever to embarrass or diminish the high reputation of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which it respects and attests to”.  

THE BILL SHOULD BE SUPPORTED BY NIGERIAN PATRIOTS!
Nigeria is not the only country that believes in the necessity to eradicate hate speeches in its nation. In Germany and Britain laws have been enacted to eradicate the abominable challenge from their economies to maintain leading roles in the European Union.
Absence of hate speech will enable governments to focus more to fulfilling all social contracts which include but not limited to more job opportunities, maintenance of law and order, reduction in crime statistics, assurance of peace/tranquillity and cordial/social interaction amongst a once diversified people who would be able to settle for best leaders without caring about tribe or State of Origin in order to enhance greater economic buoyancy!
All those who are against the thorough process of this Bill should have a rethink because without peace and tranquillity in any nation citizens would not have the right directions and there will be breakdown of Law and Order.  Both Chambers of the National assembly now on recess are expected back towards the end of September 2020. It is believed that on resumption there will be synergy among all stakeholders to speedily bring to a conclusion the enactment into law of this strategic Bill, so that all those fifth columnist who are determined to ruin NIGERIA would be destabilized and brought to book!

“Let all souls be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God; …For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. (Romans.13:1, 3.).

Please look forward to more divine revelation in the next edition of Zion B-BC Newsletter as you share this with friends and remain blessed in the Lord. [For weekly access, to this newsletter, log on to:  facebook.com/zionfaithbible.believingchurch or http://www.zfbbc1.blogspot.com, https://www.google.com/+zionfaithbiblebelievingchurch.

If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, don’t miss this great opportunity as you pray this prayer: Lord Jesus; I confess that I am a sinner who needs to be saved through the grace of the New Testament of your Blood, shed on the Cross at Calvary; I renounce every sin in my life and accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive me and write my name in the Book of Life. Amen. If you prayed this prayer, you have been admitted into the family of sons and daughters of God, who are born-again. Congratulations.

I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon, Resident Pastor and Editor. 08130669886, 08098194390.  08080243066. G-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.