Hate Speech Vs Freedom of Speech

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, gave a clinical dissection of the APC government’s complicity in hate or terror speeches with detailed descriptions when he lambasted Prof. Osinbajo, for saying the federal government will henceforth regard hate speech as act of terrorism. Fani-Kayode noted that the declaration has proven that President Muhammadu Buhari, Osinbajo, APC National Chairman, John Odigie Oyegun, and other leaders of the party “are indeed a bunch of self-serving deceivers and self-seeking hypocrites.” Worst of all, they are the architects of terror and the fathers of hate!” he said.

His words “When they called those that believe in restructuring “opportunists” and “political jobbers” it was not described as hate speech. “When they called those that believe in exercising their right of self-determinaion and that are struggling and fighting for equal rights, equal opportunities and the liberation and emancipation of their people “treasonous criminals”, “evil secessionists”, “irresponsible souls” and “godless rebels” it was not described as hate speech. “When they called the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) “a bunch of criminals and looters” it was not described as hate speech.

“When they called President Goodluck Jonathan “incompetent”, “weak”, “gutless” and “clueless” it was not described as hate speech. When they described him as a “drunken sailor”, a “drunken fisherman”, a “kindergarten President” and insulted members of his family it was not described as hate speech. When they called us “wailing wailers” it was not hate speech. When they called us “PDPigs” it was not described as hate speech. When they called us “baboons and dogs” and their wives called us “hyenas and jackals” it was not described as hate speech.

 “When they called us “cold-blooded murderers” and described us as “thieves and rogues” it was not described as hate speech. When they encouraged and clapped for a foreign leader who described our people and our nation as “fantastically corrupt” it was not described as hate speech. When they demonised our leaders and called First Lady Patience Jonathan an “ugly and illiterate hippopotamus” it was not described as hate speech.

“When they called President Obasanjo and President Yar’adua “incompetent jokers and treacherous thieves” who “stole all the money that they were given for the power sector” and who were part of a “cabal of kleptomaniacs” it was not described as hate speech. When they called Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state a “murderer, cultist and gangster” who “has no character” and a “cutlass-wielding butcher and thief” it was not described as hate speech. When they called Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state a “loud-mouthed and illiterate gutter-snipe” and a “low-life danfo driver” it was not described as hate speech.”

Another school of thought have looked beyond hate speech and have concluded that hate speech usually draw its strength from hate actions. According to proponents of this thought, the Buhari-led administration came on board smoking hot with hate actions which consequently ignited hate speeches both of which have formed the needed cannon fodder threatening to blow the country into smithereens. The time tested wisecrack says that there can never be peace in any land where justice, fair play and equity are mere lip services. President Buhari’s appointment of his kitchen cabinet with members of his region and religious faith and his constitution of the country’s security chiefs with officers from his region are clear indication that he set the stage for the current spate of dissenting voices which are termed hate speeches.

As a notable columnist, Ralph Egbu, puts it “There is the herdsmen menace and yet no one is aware of anybody standing trial on that score. In Kano, Zamfara and Niger states, Christians and fellow Nigerians were gruesomely murdered on account of religious blasphemy and it is like the perpetrators have the freedom to do what they did and get away with it. In this same region, Christian girl-children are abducted and forcefully married out to Muslims with the consent of the traditional rulers. This is a major hate action yet our advocates of peace and unity see and hear no evil.