The south-South Vice President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Archbishop Emma Gospel Isong, is not happy with the position of the senate banning preaching activities inside public vehicles.
Isong said in a statement, a copy of which was made available to TNN on Thursday, that the senators were wrong in arriving at the position, as their stand was against the provision of the 1999 constitution, as amended.
https://tnnonline.info/no-going-back-on-resource-control-protection-of-ijaws-everywhere/According to the celebrated Calabar pastor who is also the president of the Association of God’s Servants, the constitution provides that “every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance.”
The international evangelist said it was wrong for the senate to deride the Nigerian constitution, not minding the provision of the same constitution to the effect that any law that is inconsistent with the constitution shall be void, to the extent of the inconsistency.
“I feel sad and worried that our National Assembly is ignoring the provisions of the 1999 constitution, as amended, in its effort to enact a new law or amend an existing one. The constitution they swore to uphold is very unambigious on this matter.
“Section 38(1) of the amended 1999 constitution has resolved this matter in favour of public preaching, whether in the bus or elsewhere. The key words in that provision are that ‘ever person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, either alone or in in community with others(in a bus), in public or private.’
“So, to say that people cannot preach in the bus is to sit the Nigerian constitution on its head. We do not and cannot accept this unconstitutional provision and we urge Mr President not to endorse this, as it is against the constitution of our country.”
Isong urged members of the National Assembly to recall the law, amend it and not do anything that would insult the sensibilities of the Nigerian people.
