- Bishop Dr. Barnabas Tunde Akinsanya
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South West Region, acknowledges the Federal Government’s commitment to improving road safety and reducing avoidable road crashes across Nigeria. We support every genuine effort aimed at protecting lives and promoting responsible road use.
However, we respectfully express serious concerns regarding aspects of the proposed Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, particularly the provision prescribing sanctions for preaching in commercial buses and the outright prohibition of hawking in such vehicles.
While government has a constitutional responsibility to ensure public safety, it also has an equal obligation to uphold the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and expression.
We believe that any legislation capable of restricting these rights should be carefully examined to ensure that it is necessary, proportionate, and consistent with constitutional principles. A blanket prohibition on religious preaching, without clear evidence that it constitutes a direct threat to public safety, may create the impression of an unnecessary limitation on religious liberty and could generate avoidable public tension.
Furthermore, many Nigerians depend on legitimate informal trading for their daily survival. Rather than adopting measures that may further worsen economic hardship, government should prioritise policies that create employment opportunities, reduce poverty, improve public transportation, strengthen security, and enhance the welfare of citizens.
We therefore respectfully appeal to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to withhold assent to the Bill in its present form and encourage further consultation with relevant stakeholders, including religious bodies, civil society organisations, legal experts, transport unions, and road safety professionals. Such dialogue will help produce legislation that effectively promotes road safety while preserving the constitutional rights and dignity of every Nigerian.
Nigeria needs laws that unite rather than divide, protect lives without unnecessarily restricting freedoms, and strengthen public confidence in democratic governance.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South West Region, remains committed to constructive engagement with government in the pursuit of justice, peace, constitutional democracy, and national development.
- Bishop Dr. Barnabas Tunde Akin Akinsanya is the Chairman,
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South West Nigeria.
