The House of Representatives has approved a bill aimed at amending the Flag and Coat of Arms Act.
The proposed changes focus on regulating the display and use of national flags across Nigeria.
The bill, sponsored by Rep Sada Soli (APC-Katsina), seeks to raise the penalty for offenders. The fine would escalate from N100 to N100,000.
During the debate, Soli stressed that both individuals and various entities, including public and corporate organizations, often disregard proper flag usage. The bill aims to curb excessive abuses of the national flag.
Section 8 of the bill empowers the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other paramilitary organizations to take action against flag misuse. Previously, the authority was limited to the police.
Section 10 of the bill proposes higher fines—N100,000—for those found liable for flag-related offenses.
The Flag and Coat of Arms Act states that;
“Subject to provisions of this section, if in any public place in Nigeria, the national flag is to be exhibited or flown for any purpose, it shall not be exhibited with or be flown on the same staff or cross bar with the flag of any state, or the flag of any Commonwealth or foreign country.
“The National Flag or any other flag when exhibited or flown, shall not appear in a defaced or tattered condition; but the national flag shall not be deemed to be defaced by reason only of the fact that it is embodied in or forms part of a state flag.
“Where the flag of any state is flown in the state to which it relates or elsewhere than in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, it shall not be necessary for the national flag to be flown at the same time.
“But if the flag of a state and the national flag are to be flown at the same time in a public place in that state or elsewhere in Nigeria, the national flag of at least the same size as the state flag shall fly above that of any state flag.”
In a ruling, Deputy Speaker Rep Benjamin Kalu referred the bill to the relevant committee for further legislative consideration.
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