The House of Representatives on Thursday rejected a Bill seeking to expunge Sharia law as a personal matter in the Nigerian Constitution.
According to the sponsor of the Bill, Hon. Aliyu Missau, he said he is seeking to amend sections 24, 262 and 277 of the Constitution by removing “personal” in the application of Sharia law.
Missau stated that the sections of then Constitution needed to be amended for some commercial entities to function in the country. He noted that the Constitution did not envisage entities like Jaiz and Taj banks.
However, during the debate on the Bill, many lawmakers interpreted the move as an attempt to broaden the scope of Shariah law.
Recall that the Sharia law limited to marriage, inheritance and other personal issues.
Speaking on the Bill, the lawmaker from Osun State, Bamidele Salam, said the bill should be rejected. He stated that it has the potential to derail the freedom enjoyed by all religions in Nigeria.
“We must be careful with any changes to the Constitution that could further widen divisions in Nigeria. In any case, the matters my colleague seeks to address are already covered by existing laws,” he said.
Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, who supported Salam, said the Bill should be stepped down because of the danger it holds.
However, several northern lawmakers supported the bill. They maintained that the proposal is harmless.
Among hose that supported of the Bill are Saidu Abdullah, Abdullah Ado, Ahmad Satomi.
And because of the controversy the Bill generated, the Deputy Speaker Ben Kalu put the question to vote. However, the “nays” had it.
source: Daily Post
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