An NGO based in Kano, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), has called on the federal government to come up with a law that would punish promoters of hate speeches in the country.
CITAD Senior Programme Officer (Peace Project), Mr. Isah Garba, made the call while briefing newsmen in Kano yesterday.
He said the call was necessary in view of the threat posed by such hate speeches to peace and unity in the country.
“The absence of any specific law on hate speech enable hate speakers to use their identity
and plain language in making their statements without the use of coded language as obtained in other countries,” he said.
He said establishing the law on hate speech would enable the government at all levels to produce violators of the law.
He, however, urged the government to use its relevant agencies to sensitive the public on the dangers associated with hate speeches in the country.
“Although it is now clear that government officials understand the threat posed by hate speeches and they have been recently calling on different tribal groups of people stop using hate speeches.
“Therefore, government should use its relevant agencies to sensitive the general public on dangers of this threat.”
He stressed the need for the government at all levels to take proactive measures to check the ugly trend especially on online hate speeches which are prevalent.
“We wish to call on government at all levels to take proactive measures in any foreseen security threat, especially in hate speech that has the potential of catalysing violence.”
The programme officer also called on the government to partner with other nongovernmental organisation working to mitigate the menace of hate speech in the country.
He, however, urged the general public to shun any statement that would denigrate others for any social parameter that distinguished them from others that might speak against.
He noted that most of the hate speakers used English language with about 89 per cent of them using the remaining 11 per cent used local languages and pidgin.
“This tells us that hate speakers are people that can be termed as educated because only those who went to school write English very well.
“By implication if those considered educated can behave in a way that may lead the country into crisis, what do you expect from those considered uneducated?”
