Kaduna preaching bill offensive to Christianity, says PFN

The Kaduna state chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) says the executive bill which the Kaduna state government seeks to regulate preaching is obnoxious and directly offensive to Christianity.

Femi Ehinmidu, chairman of the PFN in the state,  said this at a news conference on Monday, declaring that the fellowship was totally opposed  and shall do everything within the law to ensure that the rights of Christians to preach the gospel is not trampled upon.

“The Bible commands Christians in the book of Mark 16: 15 to go into the entire world and preach the gospel to every creature, this is the foundation and life wire of the Christian religion, we will rather obey God than man… Taking away our rights to preach and evangelise is telling us not to practice our religion as we are commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said.

Ehinmidu said the Nigerian constitution guarantees freedom of worship and the right to propagate religious beliefs, saying “the Kaduna state government cannot claim to be wiser than the whole lot of eminent Nigerians who gave the nation the constitution”.

He appealed to well meaning Nigerians and relevant stakeholders to prevail on the state government to withdraw the bill, which is before the state house of assembly.

The bill tagged: ‘A Law to Substitute the Kaduna State Religious Preaching Law, 1984’ requires both Muslims and Christians preachers  in the state to obtain preaching permit which shall be renewable every year.

It also seek to prohibit residents from playing evangelical tapes and CDs in public places, while loud speakers are to be used only inside churches and mosques for a period not exceeding 8:00pm.

The bill also prescribed a fine of N200, 000 for violators found liable. The state government had explained that the bill is targeted at curbing religious extremism and hate speech.

Last week, during a meeting with officials of the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Barnabas Bantex, deputy governor of the state, said the bill had existed since 1984 when it was enacted by the military.

He said there had been amendments in 1987 and 1996, which were aimed at responding to religious violence such as Maitatsine in 1983 and the Kafanchan riots of 1987.

“There is nothing in the bill that suggests any effort to abolish, stop or derogate on the freedom of religion and religious beliefs,” he had said.

“It merely seeks to ensure that religious preaching and activities in the state are conducted in ways that do not threaten public order, public safety, and to protect the rights and freedom of other persons.”