Garshon Benson, the National Chairman of Democratic People’s Party on Thursday in Abuja, advised the Federal Government to sponsor an executive bill on hate speech to the National Assembly.
Benson, who is also the Deputy National Chairman of the Inter-party Advisory Council, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria adding that there was need to curtail hate speech in the country.
He said that though people could still be prosecuted within the existing laws, there should be a law that could bring it to a fore, ‘’that hate speech is an offence’’.
Benson said that such a law was imperative to draw a line between freedom of speech and hate speech, noting that the latter could destroy the country, if not properly checked.
He said: “What people should understand is that, nobody has constitutional and fundamental right to speech, where your rights stop is where the next man’s rights start.
“So, you have to be very careful because there is tiny string that divides your rights and other peoples’ rights.
“If you think you have the right of free speech and all that, it should not go beyond the bound of certain things or morality that will divine all of us.
“So, I want a law specifically for hate speech that will specifically define the borderline of that freedom of speech for people to know their limitations on certain things they do.’’
Benson also stressed the need for Nigerians not to use their guaranteed rights to disturb other citizens’ rights.
He said: “If you have the right to own a property, it does not give you a right to encroach into other peoples’ property.
“That you have the right to live your life, does not guarantee you the right to take another person’s life.
“So there is always a borderline, there are limitations to the rights which we cling to; then the right to free speech should not encroach into hate speech.
“There is need for a law to now define what our free speeches are and what they are not, because hate speech can destroy this country.”
The national chairman of DPP also urged Nigerians be their brother’s keepers and do things that would further unite the country.
He said that Nigerians needed to move ahead as a country by being united.
Benson added: “Hate speech is being condemned all over the world and we should not promote it in any facet at all.
‘’By the time we see ourselves as brothers, no matter wherever we are, whatever we do, the better of for this country.
“The bigger we are the better for this country. Our size, population and our multiplicity of ethnicity and nationality should strengthen our diversity. People should see it in that light.’’
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