Excerpt: Senate says the FRSC amendment bill does not ban street preaching but retains existing safety rules for commercial vehicles.
The Senate has dismissed claims that the ongoing amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) (Establishment) Act seeks to ban street preaching, clarifying that the legislation only retains existing provisions aimed at protecting commuters in commercial vehicles.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Senate said public concerns over the proposed amendment were based on a misunderstanding of provisions that have existed in the law since 2007.
According to the Senate, preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles are already offences under Section 10(4) of the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007 and Regulation 220 of the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2012.
It explained that the provision was previously listed as Item 36 in the Second Schedule of the Act and has only been renumbered as Item 49 in the amendment bill.
“The offences have been part of the Act before the current amendment,” the statement said.
The Senate stressed that the proposed amendment does not criminalise religious activities in public places.
“The Bill, therefore, does not outlaw preaching on the streets as some interests have claimed in different fora. It is about the safety of commuters and other road users and not intended to undermine any religious activity in the public space.”
The upper chamber also clarified that the bill was not sponsored by the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.
“The Bill is not an initiative of Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, CON. Rather, it is a concurrence bill first amended by the House of Representatives. As required by the 1999 Constitution, the Bill requires the concurrence of the Senate before it can become effective.”
The Senate noted that the amendment process is still underway and encouraged members of the public and other stakeholders to engage through the appropriate legislative channels before its completion.
“In the spirit of democracy, stakeholders can channel their concerns to the appropriate institutions before the completion of the process.”
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