Kaduna Assembly passes bill to grant Pastors, Imams license before preaching

The Religious Preaching Regulation law, 1984 before the Kaduna
State House of Assembly seeking substitution was on Friday passed
into law.

The passage of the bill came three years after the bill faced
serious criticism from different religious bodies and
individuals.

The bill, which purpose is to regulate religious preaching in
Kaduna State with a view of promoting religious harmony and
peaceful co-existence amongst the residents of the state was
brought to the House since 2016.

Presiding over the plenary, the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Abdullahi
Shagali while reading the bill close by close said a state
inter-faith Regulatory council has been established with a chairman
to be appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the
Secretary to the state.

Also, two members representing the Christian and Muslim faith,
respectively, to be appointed by the Governor, among others.

According to the Speaker, the bill further has it that the above
mentioned council shall hear and determine appeals brought before
it arising from the decision of the local government inter-faith
Committee and also has power to issue regulations considered
necessary to guide the state inter-faith council and local
government inter-faith committee in the performance of their
functions under the bill if signed into law.

He further mentioned that the bill when signed into law,
stipulates that in each of the 23 local Government areas of the
state, a committee to be known as the Local Government Inter-faith
Committee has to be established

According to him, the local Government Inter-faith committee
shall consider and recommend to state Inter-faith Regulation
Council all applications for the grant of licence to religious
preachers as well as screen and recommend preachers for the grant
of license among other functions.

The supplementary provision explained that all cassettes,
compact disks (CDs), flash drives or any other communication
gadgets containing religious recordings from accredited preachers
may be played inside a private dwelling unit or vehicle, entrance
porch (zaure), Church, Mosque and any other designated place of
worship.

It further stated that any person who plays religious cassette
or uses a loud speaker for religious purposes between the hours of
11pm to 4am in a public place, and uses a loudspeaker for religious
purposes other than inside Church or Mosque commits an offence and
shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for a term of not
less than two years or pay a fine of less than N200,000.00 or
both.

The bill added that any person who publicly insults or seeks to
incite contempt any religion, by making false statements in such a
manner as to be likely to lead to a breach of peace, shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term of not less than five years a
fine of not less than N100,000.00 or both

Subscribe ToNairalaw News!

Nigeria Tackles Plastic Wastes, Air
Pollution-Odusote

The Federal Government is currently midwifing the ‘National
Policies of Plastic Wastes Management and Air Pollution’, in view
of the devastating impact of plastic waste and contaminated air to
human health and the ecosystem.

This was disclosed by Mrs. Ibokun Odusote, Permanent Secretary
in the Federal Ministry of Environmet on the occasion of the “2019
World Environment Day” (WED), which her Ministry commemorated at
the National Press Centre, Radio House, in Abuja.

She further disclosed that the Federal Ministry Of Environment
is also aggressively pursuing the Low Sulphur Policy and
Ozone-Friendly Refrigeration Policy which, according to her, are
geared towards reversing the adverse effects of both land and air
pollution with the resultant effects on the population, the
ecosystem and the economy.

The Permanent Secretary explained that in line with the vision
of the present administration, the Ministry has over the years
worked assiduously to make Nigeria’s environment safe and conducive
for productivity.

She noted that the strategic policy-actions underscore the
interventions of the Ministry in the arears of pollution and waste
recycling projects in various states of federation.

“The ratification of the Kigali Amendment to phase down Hydro
fluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol on substances that
deplete the Ozone layer and ratification of Minimata Convention on
mercury in 2018, are major achievements the Federal Government (FG)
through the Ministry, has recorded on issues concerning air
pollution.

“Also, Mr. President has since signed and ratified the Paris
Club Agreement, while the clean-up exercise of Ogoni land has also
been flagged-off,” Mrs. Odusote said.

The Permanent Secretary, who was represented by Mr. Daniang
Peter, Director of Human Resources Management in the ministry,
noted that an estimated 7 million people worldwide die due directly
or indirectly to poor air quality.

She said: “It is estimated that 92% of the world population
breathe unclean air and this has cost the global economy a whooping
USD 3.5 trillion on yearly basis. Most worrisome is the issue of
ozone-layer depletion, that has over the years, gradually
exacerbated the ever increasing world temperature with the
resultant effects on agriculture, human health, and biodiversity in
general.”

Mrs. Odusote asserted that the theme for this year’s WED, which
is “Beat Air Pollution”, could have come at a better time than now,
especially in view of the threat posed by air pollution worldwide,
especially in cities of the world where industries keep growing,
releasing dangerous gasses and pollutants into the air with
effective and commensurate efforts at mitigating this negative
trend.

According to her, there is need to double efforts at community,
corporate and policy levels if the world would still be habitable
for a longer while, and be protected from ‘irredeemable’
degradation by air pollution.

In an address of welcome, Dr. Bolatito Obisesan, the Director
Planning Research and Statistics in the Ministry, explained that
the World Health Organization (WHO) had listed Onistsha, Aba,
Kaduna, and Umuahia, and Nigeria in general, as a country with
several worst polluted towns in Africa.

She said the biggest changes and effects Nigerians and all
humans can experience from air pollution are not real damage to the
environment, but also bad changes in the quality of life and severe
issues to human health.

“It is therefore very important for healthy and sustainable
living that the preventive measures and sustainable solutions are
enforced to ensure safe environment for the population to live,”
Dr. Obisesan advised. (END)

Saghir el Mohammed
Director Press
Federal Ministry of Environment