…Says a Democratic State Must Balance its Security Exigencies With its Constitutional Obligations to Uphold the Rule of Law and Respect Fundamental Rights of its Citizens
…Urges Public Servants Who Cannot Withstand Criticism to Retreat to Their Family and Assume the Status of an Imperial Emperor
By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Senator representing Kaduna Central at the National Assembly, Comrade Senator Shehu Sani has warned that having state police and also having capital punishment for Hate speech will breed tyranny and terror as a state policy.
Shehu Sani while making this assertion, reminded that most people in power are intolerant to criticism and allergic to dissent to be trusted with a capital punishment for Hate speech.
He further informed that with the intolerance of public office holders, the condemned cells in Nigerian prisons will be filled with bloggers, social media enthusiasts, critics and perceived political opponents.
The Kaduna Senator who admitted that there is need to fight Hate speech as it constitutes threat to peace,unity and order of a nation; however lamented that we must protect “Free speech” as “Free speech” is the shield of the oppressed.
While insisting that democratic state must balance its security exigencies with its constitutional obligations and moral duty to uphold the rule of law and respect fundamental rights of its citizens; Shehu Sani called on public officers who cannot withstand criticism or challenge, to retreat to their family and assume the status of an imperial emperor.
Senator Shehu Sani who disclosed this on his Facebook page and twitter handle @ShehuSani on Friday said:
“Most people in Power are intolerant to criticism and allergic to dissent to be trusted with a capital punishment for Hate speech.
“The law against Hate speech will be used against free speech.Many critics and social media enthusiasts will end up in the gallows.
“Our condemned cells in the prisons will be filled with bloggers,critics and perceived political opponents.
“We must fight Hate speech,Hate speech is a real threat to peace,unity and order of a nation but we must protect free speech.
“Free speech is the shield of the oppressed.
“When you have state police and you have capital punishment for Hate speech, you will have tyranny and terror as a state policy.
“People in power should think twice about what they do with power as someday they will be out of power.
“A democratic state must balance its security exigencies with its constitutional obligations and moral duty to uphold the rule of law and respect fundamental rights of its citizens.
“If you are in public office and you don’t want to be criticized or challenged, please dismount and go back to your family where you can be an imperial emperor”.