SENATOR STELLA ODUAH'S BILL ON RELIGIOUS EQUITY DISSECTED

Our indefatigable Senator Stella Oduah sponsored a Bill on:

RELIGION EQUITY COMMISSION (Est, etc), BILL, 2017

The Bill will redress the imbalances in religion in Public Sector and Private Institutions including all our social lives and help project our secularism in all aspects of our governance which was a belief that formed the bedrock of our foundation by our founding fathers. The Bill is critical in redressing the challenges minority religion suffers in some parts of Nigeria.

The Bill will address the following:

(a.) deal with all matters relating to the protection of the fundamental human right to freedom of religion and belief as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the African Charter, the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international treaties on human rights to which Nigeria is a signatory;

(b.) monitor, investigate and prosecute all cases of religious discrimination, victimization and harassment and take such other actions as it may deem expedient in each circumstance;

(c.) assist victims of religious discrimination or violations and seek appropriate redress and remedies on their behalf;

(d.) undertake studies on all matters relating to religious rights and practices and assist the Federal Government in the formulation of appropriate policies on the guarantee of right to freedom from religious discrimination and victimization;

(e.) Monitor and investigate all cases of religious extremism

(f.) Review the safeguards provided by or under the Constitution or any law for the time being enforce for the protection of religious rights and recommend measures for their effective implementation;

(g.) review the factors, including acts of bigotry, stereotyping, religious profiling,terrorism and  religious extremism that inhibit the enjoyment of the free exercise

of religious rights and recommend appropriate remedial measures;

(h.) publish regular reports on the state of religious rights protection and promotion in Nigeria;

(i.) create awareness and promote advocacy through seminars, workshops and conferences on religious harmony and inter-faith peaceful co-existence and any other programmes;

(j.) participate in all international activities relating to the promotion and protection

of human rights especially as it relates to freedoms of religious beliefs and expressions;

(k.) maintain a library, collect data and disseminate information and materials on inter-religious harmony and coexistence; and

(l.) carry out all such other functions as are necessary or expedient for the performance of these functions under the Act.

The Bill is Awaiting Second Reading