LAGOS JULY 28TH (NEWSRANGERS)-The Senate has refuted the crux of the controversies surrounding the ongoing amendment of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) (Establishment) Act, clarifying that the bill does not outlaw street preaching or introduce a new prohibition on hawking.
This followed public concerns over a provision in the proposed amendment relating to preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles. In a clarification yesterday by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Office of the Leader of the Senate, the Senate said the practices were already offences under existing legislation long before the current amendment process began.
However, the Founder of Salvation Ministries, David Ibiyeomie, has condemned the bill penalising preaching inside commercial buses as passed by the Senate, describing the legislation as an “anti-Christian” attempt to humiliate the faith.
Speaking during a service in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the cleric warned proponents of the controversial 2026 traffic offence and anti-preaching bill to “leave Christians alone,” saying the proposed law could trigger widespread chaos across Nigeria if enacted.
According to the Senate statement, Section 10(4) of the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007, and Regulation 220 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, already prohibit preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles.
It explained that the provisions were originally listed as Item 36 in the Second Schedule of the 2007 Act and have now been moved to Item 49 under the ongoing amendment.
Stressing that the bill should not be interpreted as a wider restriction on religious activities or preaching in public spaces, the Senate said the provision was designed around the safety of commuters and other road users.
It also refuted the claims that Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele initiated the controversial provision, explaining that the legislation is a concurrence bill from the House of Representatives, requiring the Senate’s approval to become law.
However, noting that the amendment process was still underway, the Senate urged stakeholders who have reservations about any provision to make their concerns known through the appropriate legislative channels.
It added that such engagement remained part of the democratic process and could take place before the bill is finally passed.
Nevertheless, with the bill currently awaiting presidential assent to become official law, Ibiyeomie argued that preventing Christians from preaching in buses while allowing Muslims to use loudspeakers amounted to unequal treatment.
He stressed that freedom of religion must apply equally to everyone.
He accused the lawmakers of targeting Christians while ignoring other pressing national issues such as insecurity, hunger and poverty.
According to him, “Nigeria is one of the poorest nations on earth, (but) nobody is talking. They are even saying we are not suffering when people cannot feed, and they say we have the best time in Nigeria.
“Nigeria is in the most difficult time and all of them are keeping quiet. Even preachers are quiet; all the preachers are quiet because they know the truth. I will never be a tribalistic preacher.
“When Jonathan was there, they were shouting, ‘It has come.’ Now everyone is quiet. When Jonathan was there, they were rioting. Now, who is rioting? Even a madman knows that Jonathan was better than this.”
The Guardian-Nigeria
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