Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, has given conditions that would make him support the controversial Hate Speech Bill, which has passed through its second reading at the upper chamber of the national assembly.
Fani-Kayode, who had earlier stated that removing the death penalty from the bill was not enough, took to his verified Twitter handle @realFFK on Monday, calling on the sponsors of the bill to make it retroactive.
The former minister insisted that he would give his support to the bill if its provisions are made retroactive, just as he requested that the first victims of the law are President Muhammadu Buhari; the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Lai Mohammed, the Minister for Information.
According to him, others that should be on the list are the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour.
He called on the sponsors of the bill to promise him that these individuals would be “hanged first for their hateful words over the years”, thereafter he would give his full support to the bill.
The tweet read:
“I will support the Hate Speech Bill if its provisions are made retroactive and if its first victims are Buhari, Bola Tinubu, Lai Mohammed, Nasir El Rufai, Festus Keyamo and Rotimi Amaechi. Promise to hang them first for their hateful words over the years and the Bill gets my support.”
It would be recalled that the former Minister had last week Monday, expressed displeasure concerning the bill, saying “Removing the death penalty for so-called ‘hate speech’ is not enough. You must scrap the entire Bill, send it back to Singapore where it came from, get on your knees and ask God. Also, ask the people for forgiveness for having the temerity to try to deprive them of their right to speak freely.”
“The so-called “hate speech” is not enough. You must scrap the entire Bill, send it back to Singapore where it came from, get on your knees and ask God. Also, ask the people for forgiveness for having the temerity to try to deprive them of their right to speak freely.”
The Prohibition of Hate Speech Bill, which is being sponsored by Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, recommends that any person who commits an offence of the kind described could be jailed for life; and if the actions are found to have caused loss of life, the punishment can be death by hanging.
