Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has stated his take on the use of laws to restrict freedom of worship in the country.
Speaking on Monday during the First National Judicial Roundtable on The Intersection between Law and Religion at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja, the Vice President maintained that such laws aimed at guiding against the freedom of worship must not only be in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution but must also be “reasonably justifiable’’.
He said: “Those laws according to the Nigerian Constitution where they restrict freedom of worship, must be “reasonably justifiable” in a democratic society in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health.
“Or for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom or other persons.
“It is this test that restrictive laws should satisfy every law that seeks to restrict religious freedom, that is, is this legislation reasonably justifiable in a democratic society for the protection of one of the listed public goods?
“The crucial question with respect to such laws is whether they should be allowed to exercise prior restraint?
“For example should there be licensing of places of worship or the dissemination of religious information?
“Or should the laws punish offending conduct when it occurs, such as the dissemination of hate speech?
“Is it reasonably justifiable in a democratic society to make laws that restrict freedom of speech by the fact that it says you must seek permission before you can make certain
types of public utterances?”
Further in his address, the Vice President noted: “The extremists reject the inalienable freedoms and rights of others, they reject the known universal mechanisms for
negotiation, compromise, and resolution of differences.
“They seek to impose their world-view by force of terror on others.
“Consequently there is no reasoning with these groups.
“The rest of society who reject this bloodthirsty approach to spreading a set of beliefs must be prepared to sustain a war against extremism which must lead to the military defeat of its forces but more importantly victory in the ideological battle.”