The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South West Region, has urged President Bola Tinubu to withhold assent to the proposed Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Act (Amendment) Bill, over provisions seeking to sanction preaching and prohibit hawking in commercial buses.
The association who said it supported genuine efforts by the Federal Government to improve road safety and reduce avoidable road crashes across the country, expressed concern over provisions it said could affect the constitutional rights and livelihoods of Nigerians.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, South West Region, Bishop Barnabas Tunde Akinsanya, CAN said while the government had a responsibility to ensure public safety, it also had an obligation to protect fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
CAN particularly faulted the proposed sanction for preaching in commercial buses, arguing that a blanket restriction on religious preaching, without clear evidence that it constituted a direct threat to public safety, could amount to an unnecessary limitation on religious liberty.
The statement reads in part “While government has a constitutional responsibility to ensure public safety, it also has an equal obligation to uphold the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and expression.
”We believe that any legislation capable of restricting these rights should be carefully examined to ensure that it is necessary, proportionate, and consistent with constitutional principles.”
The association also expressed concern over the proposed prohibition of hawking in commercial buses, noting that many Nigerians depend on informal trading for their daily survival.
”Rather than adopting measures that may further worsen economic hardship, government should prioritise policies that create employment opportunities, reduce poverty, improve public transportation, strengthen security, and enhance the welfare of citizens,” CAN added
The group urged the government to strike a balance between road safety regulations and the protection of fundamental human rights, warning that restrictions on religious activities could generate avoidable public tension.
CAN therefore appealed to President Tinubu to withhold assent to the Bill in its present form and called for further consultations with religious bodies, civil society organisations, legal experts, transport unions and road safety professionals.
It said broader consultations would help produce legislation that effectively promotes road safety while preserving the constitutional rights and dignity of every Nigerian.
”Nigeria needs laws that unite rather than divide, protect lives without unnecessarily restricting freedoms, and strengthen public confidence in democratic governance,” CAN said.
