The Nigerian Catholic Church, has warned Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai to desist from pushing for the enactment of a religious bill to regulate preaching of religious sermons in the state.

While addressing a press conference in Abuja, the Director of Caritas International, a department under the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Rev. Fr. Evaristus Bassey said majority of the people in Kaduna don’t want the bill and their will must be respected.

Father Bassey said the bill had enormous potential abuses, and as such, it shouldn’t be made law because it could be wrongly used by ambitious state officials.

“The danger in Nigeria is the manipulation of structures and institutions by strong individuals. Thus, the fear is that even if the proposed bill contains good aims, the proposed restrictions would play into the hands of officials of state who have a hegemonic mentality and would allow them the freedom to persecute one religion in favour of another.”

“The principle of separation of state and Church/Mosque which springs from the supposed secularity of the Nigerian constitution would be severely battered if this bill is pursued in the way it is. Gov. el Rufai, who is quite dogged in the pursuit of anything, given this tool, would pursue ardently both what is good and what may be divisive.”

“We therefore advise that Kaduna State rely on existing laws and existing state instruments of law enforcement, to maintain religious harmony in the state instead of reinventing the wheel.”

“The majority of Kaduna people appear not to want this law, and their wishes should be respected, as no governor is an emperor but an elected official who should defer to the people’s will. The people’s will is sovereign; because of the potential abuses this bill could bring when it becomes law, we opine that it is not necessary.”

Mallam Yero