Presiding Pastor, Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman has reacted to President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of an increase in fine relating to hate speeches.
DAILY POST reports that Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed in Abuja while inaugurating the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Reform Implementation Committee said Buhari approved the upward review of fines from N500,000 to N5 million for breaches relating to hate speeches, inciting comments and indecency.
According to the statement: “Following deliberations at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) of March 27th 2019, on the unprofessional and unethical conduct of some broadcast stations, especially before and during the last general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari directed me to institute an inquiry into the conduct of the stations and report back to the Council
“Consequently, I inaugurated a five-member committee on Wednesday, April 10th 2019 with the following terms of reference:
“Find out to what extent the NBC was able to effectively carry out its regulatory role before and during the 2019 general elections.
“Recommend measures that could strengthen NBC’s regulatory role and make it more effective.
” Upward review of fines from N500,000 to N5,000,000 for breaches relating to hate speeches, inciting comments and indecency.”
But reacting, Apostle Suleman said the recent review by Buhari is a ‘deliberate attempt to silence Nigerians’
On his Twitter page, the outspoken cleric wrote: “Just read about N5m fine for hate speech, there is a thin line between freedom of speech and hate speech.
“This is a deliberate attempt to silence people, we could backdate its implementation to 2014.”