The Senate has clarified that the ongoing amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Establishment Act does not introduce a fresh ban on preaching or hawking in commercial vehicles, stating that the provision has existed in Nigerian law for nearly two decades.
Sponsored Ads
The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs in the Office of the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.
Sponsored Ads
According to the statement, the prohibition against preaching and hawking inside commercial vehicles is already contained in Section 10(4) of the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act, 2007, as well as Regulation 220 of the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2012.
LIST OF APPLICATIONS FOR REGULARISATION OF AREA COUNCIL LAND DOCUMENTS NULLIFIED/CANCELLED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FCT
The Senate explained that the offence has remained part of the FRSC Act since 2007 and was previously listed as Item 36 in the Second Schedule of the law. Under the proposed amendment, the provision has only been renumbered as Item 49 in the Second Schedule without altering its substance.
RELATED STORIES
Related Posts
The statement said reports suggesting that the amendment seeks to outlaw street preaching are inaccurate. It maintained that the provision is intended to promote the safety of passengers and other road users within commercial vehicles and is not aimed at restricting religious activities carried out in public places.
The Senate also clarified that the amendment bill did not originate from the Office of the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele. It explained that the legislation is a concurrence bill that was first amended and passed by the House of Representatives before being transmitted to the Senate for consideration, as required under the 1999 Constitution.
Lawmakers noted that the legislative process is still ongoing and encouraged members of the public and other interested groups to submit their observations and concerns through the appropriate legislative channels before the amendment process is concluded.
The Senate said the current review of the FRSC Act remains open to public input, stressing that stakeholder engagement remains an important part of the lawmaking process.
Comments are closed.