Commercial bus and taxi drivers, commuters and Christian preachers in Port Harcourt have expressed mixed reactions to a bill passed by the Senate seeking to prohibit preaching in commercial buses.
The proposed legislation prescribes a six-month jail term, a ₦50,000 fine, or both, for anyone convicted of violating the law.
Some drivers described the bill as misplaced, urging the Senate to prioritise insecurity, unemployment and the rising cost of living instead. Others supported the proposal, arguing that some individuals use bus preaching as an avenue to solicit money from passengers.
Many commuters also backed the bill, saying it would reduce disturbances in commercial buses and motor parks while discouraging exploitation by self-styled preachers.
Reacting, bus and market preacher Pastor Chika condemned the proposed legislation, describing it as an attack on the Christian faith. Another cleric, Pastor Ossia Bakare, alleged that the bill was aimed at gradually silencing Christianity in Nigeria, insisting that the gospel cannot be suppressed.
Leave feedback about this