- Says death penalty too extreme
By Adeola Ogunlade
The Professor of English and Media/Digital Communication, Department of Languages and General Studies, Covenant University, Innocent Chiluwa, has thrown his weight behind the prosecution of hate speech promoters across the country.
According to him, hate speech has and is doing so much damage to the faboric of unity in the country.
He however opined that the death penalty as prescribed by the nation’s law is too extreme, calling for some watering down.
Chiluwa said this at the 23rd Inaugural lecture held at the Chapel Hall of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State.
The lecture tagged: Language in Conflict and Peace: Representations of Identities and Interests in the Media and the Internet.
He said it is sad that inflammatory speech have implications for peaceful co-existence of different groups in Nigeria. Hate speech and negative linguistics representations of the others have the tendency to exploit grievances and fear built on long standing suspicion and competition among the groups for resources and recognition as in the case of the Nigeria Delta resource allocation question.
He said “I am aware that there is currently the prohibition of Hate Speech Bill that has passed its second reading at the Nigeria Senate. The proposed law recommended life imprisonment and even death by hanging if the actions of hate speech which include written or visuals acts or any publication that threatened or incites ethnic hatred, or is abusive, insulting or offensive results in loss of life.
He noted that there are indications that the part of the bill dealing with death penalty could be removed following the recommendation of the APC Senator that sponsored the bill.
He asserted that while the penalties prescribed in the bill are rather extreme, its highlights the seriousness with which hates speech is viewed not only in Nigeria but around the world.
He cited the Julius Amaalema- the controversial leader of the ANC Youth League in South Africa in 2011 was convicted of incitement and hate speech for singing the apartheid era struggle song: Shoot the Boer. The Judge rules that the song was derogatory, dehumanizing and hurtful to the country.
He posited that the significant incursion into the special and cultural life by the internet and social media has contributed in no small way to championing the mission of individuals and groups to project conflict and hate discourses.