“While it is important to protect personal integrity in social media, a clean, transparent and accountable government
that has nothing to fear will not use this ground as an excuse to undermine the sacred right to freedom of expression.”
I was heartily disappointed to read load of writes within a single minute which makes little or no sense to help us free us from ourselves.
i would have rather not made a comment on this , neither should i have written a piece on this topic, but for my deep sense of politics and a person
of passion for freedom; i will owe my conscience a great deal, if i never did.
The Bill, which passed a second reading in Nigeria’s Senate
last Tuesday, takes pointed aim at freedom of expression and a free
press which are protected by Section 39 of Nigeria’s
constitution. If passed, it will restrain an estimated 15 million
Nigerians who use social media, and 43 million of the 145
million active phone users who use text, instant or twitter direct
messaging services according to data from Facebook, the
Nigeria Communication Commission, and the 2015 mid-year
Mobile Africa survey conducted by Geopoll.
This Anti Social Network bill almost getting passed into law by the National Assembly is nothing but an act of pure Prejudice, sabotage, malicious thoughts, craft joblessness and irresponsibility on the path of our idle and wimp legislatures. Who does nothing other than leave their main duties to romance idiocy.
Rolling forward the frontier of the State to accommodate their prejudice and shrink the little space left for freedom of expression the people of a Nation-State enjoys.
"I don't think the Government is afraid to , the bill if passed is not
just for the government but everyone individual,for or against the government
it will encourage lies, meaning the government and the citizens will both be discouraged
from lying. Like they say, truth is bitter, i am becoming convinced it is a small piece
to pay for truth. A Nation founded in falsehood in the name of freedom is not the dream,
people have fought government, big corporations, powerful people in the court and won in
this country"
After reading through this above statement by a honest citizen of Nigeria, who i don't know if he/she ever trusted his/her conscience , i was left to a smile on my cheek. So, the government should be allowed to only allow us to tell the truth by structuring our mind, brains, thoughts and opinion!! When did the World becomes do real that the truth becomes so easy that its now an "obsession" for our "Honorable members", can and his the National Assembly telling us the truth behind all this, if not to cover-up for their messes and ineffectiveness. The government will then become the sole determinant of what is True or False for or against it.
I sit to think, why on earth will our Legislature,our so called representatives sit to think of cutting off our right to think is the better way to keeping us alive. What happens to the lies we tell in the corner of our rooms?, what happens to the lies that accompany all their political campaigns and promises?
Whatever reason or intention Senator Bala Ibn Na'allah has , he shouldn't have sponsored a bill just to cover-up our future.
The National Assembly should not be allowed to strangle the Freedom of Information law and social media liberty just because they want to protect themselves, parading their selves more like a Leviathan. In the best interest of this Nation this acrimonious bill should be laid to rest or withdrawn.
If passed into law would undermine the internationally recognized right to freedom the internet in Nigeria.
This bill wants any individual or group of person who sends any alleged false text messages or post false messages on the social media against another person be jailed for two(2) years or pay a fine of two million(2,000000)naira or both.
This left us no choices than ask them all; lets refer them to the rampaging kidnapping issue that has lingered for long in the country where only kidnap associated with the people at the corridor of power or their relatives get greet deal of attention of the media and the security outfit then the Senate will go o rampage on why draconian law should be passed on issue of kidnap just because one of their fellow senior citizen/s was involve. How many of this issues get media attention when it affects the common citizens who pays ransom every now and then with little or no security outfit help. A Government that has been trained to attend to only issues that bothers on senior citizens can never be allowed or trusted to maneuver how laws and keep us in perpetual limitations.This act of the National assembly begs the question " how do we know what's the truth and who tells one", this kind of bill is might to help cover alot of things about them....................OH!!! Our citizens will then be reduced to a mere spectator,toothless and helpless in the political arena, most of our youths and critics will spend two precious year of their life in jail just for expression their opinion on the government.
If that's the case why a National Assembly or a Democracy when we can no longer our view/s without Fear or Favour. International law requires any restriction to rights online must be provided in law, pursuant to a legitimate aim and limited to only what is necessary and proportionate, which this bill fall short to fulfill. They practically want to restrict the ability of the citizens to question their judgments, ineffectiveness or digging in their pasts, using these tools to communicate , connect and seek independent sources of information. This was meant to savage social media and human right defender who/that might be critical of the government policies or report on malicious intents and corruption involving government and it's officials{first class citizens} and information will no longer be freely accessed.
The bill, titled: “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and other
Matters Connected therewith”, is sponsored by Senator Ibn Na’Allah, APC,
Kebbi South. The bill provides for an option of N4 million for persons
convicted of false newspaper, radio and television statements and N2
million for offenders of false phone text messages or messages on
Facebook, twitter, Instagram, or WhatsApp. The bill also punishes alleged
malicious intent to discredit or set the public against any person or group
of persons, institutions of government.
On the social media, the bill read: “Where any person through text message,
tweets, WhatsApp or through any social media post any abusive statement
knowing same to be false with intent to set the public against any person
and group of persons, an institution of government or such other bodies
established by law shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction, shall
be liable to an imprisonment for two years or a fine of N2,000,000.00 or
both fine and imprisonment.”
While will a bill against the rule of equity and natural justice be allowed to pass, this bill is running against the public opinion!!! And haven't be a bill to set the record straight on corruption with very stiff/draconian measures/heavier hammers on corrupt laden government officials or politicians. Why is the bill holding strong/down politicians who illegally got their way into elective positions via rigging; they spend time in offices knowing pretty well they will be removed from the office but, before then, they could steal/loot as much as they can and still be paid fat salaries which they will never return when they got removed by the court of law,the legislature cannot help us reduce many and lengthy election cases in election tribunal.
We still expecting a bill to reduce their fat allowance plus salary, all majority of bills passing is meant to keep them save from scrutiny and accountability.
Nigerians must stand to say No to the bill of imprisonment and impediment, alot of our rights has been trampled on freely, but will never allow this to stand. THIS IS A DEMOCRACY AND REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WE MUST BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK FREELY, WRITE FREELY AND GET INFORMATION FREELY THROUGH ALL MEANS AVAILABLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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