The Senate has clarified that the ongoing amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Act does not introduce a fresh ban on preaching or hawking in commercial vehicles, but merely retains provisions that have existed in law for nearly two decades.
The clarification follows public outrage and widespread claims that the National Assembly was seeking to prohibit religious preaching and hawking in commercial buses through the proposed amendment.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs in the Office of the Senate Leader, the Senate said the contentious provision is not new, explaining that it has been part of Nigeria’s road traffic laws since the enactment of the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007.
According to the statement, Section 10(4) of the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007, together with Regulation 220 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, already classify preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles as offences.
The Senate explained that the provision was originally listed as Item 36 in the Second Schedule to the 2007 Act and has simply been renumbered as Item 49 under the proposed amendment.
It emphasized that the amendment does not seek to outlaw street preaching or restrict religious activities in public places.
“The provision is about the safety of commuters and other road users and is not intended to undermine any religious activity in the public space,” the statement said.
The upper chamber also dismissed reports linking the bill to the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, clarifying that the proposed legislation originated in the House of Representatives and was transmitted to the Senate as a concurrence bill.
According to the Senate, its role is to consider and concur with the amendments already passed by the House before the bill can be forwarded for presidential assent.
The Senate further noted that the legislative process is still ongoing and encouraged Nigerians and other stakeholders with concerns about the bill to channel their observations through the appropriate legislative processes before its passage.