Governors of the thirty- six states of the country under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF have said that no governor has come out to support the death penalty proposed for Hate Speech offenders.
They also said that state governments will resolve that the issue of Minimum Wage for workers would be addressed by December as work is in progress.
Addressing Journalists in Abuja Wednesday night at the end of the meeting of the governors, Deputy Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal said that no Governor has come out openly to support death Penalty as Punishment for Hate Speeches.
Answering questions from journalists shortly after the briefing, Tambuwal who urged the National Assembly to conduct Public Hearing on the Hate Speech Bill said that the views of the people must be taken very seriously.
Tambuwal said, “Various state governments have been engaging with heir branches of Nigerian Labour Congress I’m sure it is work in progress before December all the states must have finished working out the details on the issue of minimum wage across the federation.
“We are very much committed to the welfare and wellbeing of our workforce and therefore we shall continue to ensure we do our best on what needs to be done.”
On hate Speech Bill, he said, ” I am not sure I have heard any governor come out to say he is in support of the death penalty for hate speech.
“I believe the National Assembly should hold a public hearing on that bill, so that due process of lawmaking is followed 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.”
The meeting was attended by Governors of Bauchi, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Imo, Adamawa, and Kwara States.
The other States represented by Deputy Governors were Gombe, Enugu, Edo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Ebonyi, among others.