The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) on Wednesday rejected the proposed death penalty contained in the Hate Speech Bill which has passed first reading at the National Assembly.

The governors spoke at the end of their seventh meeting in Abuja which was presided over by the Vice-Chairman of the NGF and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal.

The governors also expressed their readiness to conclude negotiations with labour unions on the implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage before the December 31 deadline.

Fielding questions from journalists shortly after the meeting, Governor Tambuwal called on the National Assembly to conduct a public hearing on the Hate Speech Bill to aggregate the views of Nigerians.

“I’m not sure I have heard any governor come out to say he is in support of the death penalty for hate speech. I believe that the National Assembly should hold a public hearing on that bill, so that due process of lawmaking is followed.

“This is so that the views of Nigerians, not just the governors will be well captured on that bill and they should respect the views of Nigerians in whatever may be the direction of debate and the eventual passage or otherwise of that bill,” Tambuwal said. 

The Forum also expressed commitment to the initiative to advance value added activities in agriculture, access to finance as well as the economic development of women.

The Senate had on Tuesday last week introduced the Hate Speech  Bill which among other things, prescribed death by hanging as the maximum punishment for certain categories of offenders.

The bill titled ‘National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speech (Estb.etc) Bill, 2019’ which is being sponsored by the Deputy Senate Whip, Mr Sabi Abdullahi, passed first reading on the floor of the Red Chamber on November 13.