Wednesday, August 14, 2024 –Former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, has said that the House of Representatives should get ready to prosecute her whenever they pass their ‘obnoxious’ Counter Subversion Bill.
There are reports that the lower
chambers has introduced the Counter Subversion Bill 2024, which aims to impose
stringent penalties on Nigerians who fail to recite the national anthem.
According to the proposed
legislation, anyone found guilty of refusing to recite the national anthem
shall be fined N5 million, or would face a 10-year prison sentence, or do both.
The bill also proposes that anyone
who destroys a national symbol or a place of worship shall be liable to the
same punishment. Sahara Reporters reports that the bill which is being
sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, is set for its second reading, where its
general principles will be debated.
The Bill “stipulates that anyone
found guilty of destroying national symbols, refusing to recite the national
anthem and pledge, defacing a place of worship with intent to incite violence,
or undermining the Federal Government shall face a fine of N5 million, a
10-year prison sentence, or both”.
The Bill also “states that anyone who
sets up an illegal roadblock performs unauthorised traffic duties, imposes an
illegal curfew, or organises an unlawful procession will be subject to a fine
of N2 million, five years in prison, or both upon conviction”.
Also, any person who “forcefully
takes over any place of worship, town hall, school, premises, public or private
place, arena, or a similar place through duress, undue influence, subterfuge or
other similar activities, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a
fine of N5 million or imprisonment for a term of 10 years or both”.
“A person who professes loyalty,
pledges or agrees to belong to an organisation that disregards the sovereignty
of Nigeria, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N3
million or imprisonment for a term of four years or both,” it added among
others.
Reacting to the proposed bill on her
X handle, Ezekwesili stated that the only National Anthem she will stand and
recite is the old one and not the only one recently signed into law by
President Tinubu. Her statement reads;
I am certain that the Speaker of the
@HouseNGR @Speaker_Abbas @nassnigeria knows this for a fact.
Surely,
he must know that the so-called #CounterSubversionBill which he introduced- and
alleged to be in its second reading - is a silly flight of fancy that further
reveals how unserious and irrelevant the lawmakers are to the Nigerian
condition.
I for example have kept my public
statement and only stand and sing the REAL Nigerian National Anthem (Arise O
Compatriots), never the Colonial and “tribal” one that he and his colleagues
conspired with @NGRPresident and kangarooed into “law” in violation of
Constitutional processes.
Get ready to “prosecute” me when you pass
your noxious #CounterSubversionBill into an Act.
But before
then, please note that if there is any group of Nigerians that deserve a
Subversion Act, it is you and your colleagues at the @nassnigeria who
consistently subvert the progress of Nigeria and her people through your
legendary public misdemeanors that accumulate into Bad Governance.
Your citizens have spoken up in unison
asking you and your colleagues in the Executive and Judicial Arms to
#EndBadGovernanceInNigeria .
You obviously have still not heard the
ticking chimes of time.
Continue with your irrelevancies while the
country totters….. continue if it pays you.''
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