Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, yesterday upped the ante in the war against hate speeches, as he urged the federal government to prosecute religious and traditional leaders found guilty of the act.
He said government should invoke relevant sections of the law to prosecute those involved in the malaise.
The monarch spoke at the event marking the 25th anniversary of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), themed; “Cosmopolitanism: Nigeria Ethnic Politics and the Communication of Hate”, in Abuja.
“I fully support the decision of the federal government to punish hate speech. There are laws in this country. We lend our strong support to this move. This is very apt. The broadcast of the President last Monday that he will visit the full wrath of the law on hate speeches is good.
“As Muslims, the Quran criminalises hate speech. This is not new to us. Religious leaders at all levels must not use their platforms to make hate speeches. If such things happen, the government has the responsibility to bring such religious leaders to book. Even traditional rulers should be punished and brought to book,” the Sultan declared.
Speaking on the need for peaceful co-existence, the monarch debunked some media reports that he was against restructuring.
On restructuring, the monarch said a section of the media quoted him out of context when he featured at a parley organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday.
Clarifying his position, Abubakar said what he takes strong exception to, is the disintegration of the country, maintaining that he cherishes a fair and just society, where the rights of every Nigerian will be respected.
He said: “I did not kick against restructuring. I can make my case anytime. I said if restructuring means destroying the country to reduce it to small republics, I am against it. I said if it means making life better for our people, I am in support of it.
“We want to commend the leadership of NBC. They have made progress in recent times. The foundation of the agency is very strong. The theme of this year’s lecture was one of the reasons why I accepted to be part of this discourse.
“Some of you who followed the media saw me at the NLC event. I was shocked when I went back home. They said there was fracas at the event. I said nothing like that happened. Former Edo governor made a comment and people did not like it, booed him. That is the beauty of democracy.”
“We broadcast things we do not think are true. This theme is apt. The social media and the broadcast platforms have the potentials of starting violence in this country. I know that the constitution guarantees the freedom of speech. It should not be used to violate the rights of others. Every responsible society must come up with ways to manage the social media and hate speeches through broadcast houses.
“With what is going on, there is tendency for hate speech to continue. Today, political rivals refer to their opponents as enemies and use unprinted words. Media houses publish and air these things. This is dangerous.
“When the President felt sick and traveled abroad, it became a political fight. What type of hate is this? This behaviour of political leaders must stop. As leaders, we have a collective responsibility to give peace a chance. This is the only way to build a sustainable society,” he further counselled.
Earlier, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, asked the leadership of NBC to bring the full weight of the law to bear on any television or radio station engaging in hate speeches.
Except something is urgently done, the minister warned, the media could be used to destabilise the country and cause a repeat of Rwanda genocide.
The event had notable government functionaries and major players in the broadcast industry, all of whom spoke against the rising trend of hate speeches and the need to nip same in the bud.
