Hate Speech by Okechukwu Nwafor

In the end, what the agency will struggle with is differentiating love speech from hate speech. In a nation where the uncontrollable level of loquaciousness and loudness complicate efforts to identify a hate speech, it becomes a futile venture. In a nation where it is impossible to estimate the number of hate speeches in a second, it means that the agency will have to imprison everyone in Nigeria to succeed.

Almost every speech that circulates in the Nigerian space is tinged with some ‘hateful’ coloration. Again, sometimes, in Nigeria daily excitements are enjoyed from interesting aftermaths that come from speeches perceived as ‘hate’. For example, how do you deal with the number of ‘Oloshi’ being directed at those who banned rice importation in a day?

The streets are boisterously fraught with babbles from Agberos reigning causes on each other and others, or market men and women reigning causes on whoever brought ill-fate to their market, be it government or whoever, or some drunk lads causing the ban of rice importation, name it.

Identifying what is hate about those speeches may be a challenge. They are rather involuntary expletives and uncontrollable emotional outbursts. Hate speech cannot work in a system that constantly challenges one’s psychological balance.

Hate speech cannot work in a system where the majority are hungry, because a hungry man in Nigeria uses hate speech to assuage his hunger. If a hungry man is guilty of hate speech against the system that caused him hunger, will you arrest him? Those promoting such bills should better look for a better job to do.