The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Kaduna state chapter says
it will challenge the legality of the religious bill recently passed by
the former State House of Assembly, in court.
The CAN state chairman, Reverend John Joseph Hayab, who spoke on the
religious bill to newsman in Kaduna, said, “We are going to court over
the illegal action of the former lawmakers in the state who hurriedly
signed the Religious Bill into law hurriedly before they left.”
He added that Christians in the state would not accept the religious
bill passed by the State House of Assembly, even if Governor Nasir
El-Rufai assents on it.
According to the Christian body, the bill, which the former lawmakers
endorsed before the House of Assembly was dissolved, is a breach of the
fundamental rights of all Christians in the state which the
constitution guaranteed, and it’s being studied for immediate legal
action in the court of law.
“I, as the chairman of CAN in the state or any official, was not
invited for any preliminary hearing by the State House of Assembly on
the bill that the House hurriedly passed before it was resolved. And
even the Interfaith Council which they claimed would regulates the
activities of Churches and Mosques in the state, most of the members
don’t understand what Christianity is, let alone regulating our
religion.
“They cannot regulate both private and public evangelism of
Christians. What is the essence of Christianity if we cannot evangelise
both privately and publicly? The law cannot work. We will not accept
it,” he said.
Besides, Hayab added, “I was in America when the news of the Assembly
endorsing the bill was announced. Now that I am back, we are going to
challenge the unlawful bill that the people of Kaduna rejected.”
He argued, “Even if the Governor assent to the bill, we will
challenge its legality. We will not accept anything that would trample
on our fundamental rights to worship and evangelise. We will go to court
and challenge it.
“And for the sake of religious harmony, the government of Kaduna
should avoid anything that will bring disharmony in the state. We have
had enough controversies and issues of insecurity. Government should not
overheat the polity again.”