NGO sensitises students to freedom of religion, belief in Nigeria
By Ibrahim Kado
Faith and Freedom Africa, an NGO, embarked on a campus campaign to sensitise students to freedom of religion and belief, guaranteed in Section 38 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 38 of the constitution states that every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change religion or belief.
There is freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance.
It states that no person attending any place of education shall be required to receive religious instruction or to take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance if such instruction ceremony or observance relates to a religion other than his own, or religion not approved by his parent or guardian.
The constitution states that no religious community or denomination shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for pupils of that community or denomination in any place of education maintained wholly by that community or denomination.
It adds that nothing in the section shall entitle any person to form, take part in the activity or be a member of a secret society.
NAN also reports that the theme of the NGO’s campaign is “Freedom of Religion or Belief: A Constitutional for all Nigerians.”
The Country Representative of the organisation, Mr Felix Samari, said during the campaign at the Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola on Wednesday, that the initiative was to promote understanding, respect and awareness among young people.
He said “we consider this to be one of our special outings, one of our special programmes that we want to embark on in Nigeria, visiting high institutions of learning, where we meet with students and talk about freedom of religion or belief as a human right.
“Campus campaign gives us this feeling that this is where we get the future leaders of Nigeria to talk about the fundamental right that is in the Section 38 of the Nigerian Constitution guaranteeing everyone the right to practice his religion, either alone or in group.
“And we believe that with this, we are going to have a group of people that will grow up to be leaders with this understanding that religion is a right.”
Samari, therefore, urged the students to respect the religion of others and protect people to practice their religion.
Mr Garba Hassan, the Coordinator, School of Science and Technology of the Polytechnic, described the campaign as key to promoting peace and harmony.
He said no fewer than 100 students were drawn from Muslim and Christian students, expected to step down the sensitisation to other students.
Revival Daniel and Safiya Abdul-Aziz who participated, appreciated the awareness creation and assured to step down the sensitisation to other students on campus and their respective communities.
According to them, the campaign has improved their religious and social consciousness, as well as how to protect one another to practice their religion as human right.
