Criticism on Wednesday greeted the bill by the Senate seeking a seven-year jail term for social media critics found guilty of inciting the public against the Federal Government.
The controversial bill, which reportedly has scaled through the second reading in the upper legislative chamber, is also proposing a stiffer punishment for Internet fraudsters and scammers. Such swindlers will also face seven years imprisonment.
Section 13 sub-section 3 of the bill proposes, “Anyone, who intentionally propagates false information that could threaten the security of the country or that is capable of inciting the general public against the government through electronic message shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction shall be sentenced to seven years imprisonment or N5m (fine).”
The Senate President, David Mark, represented by the Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Abu Ibrahim, (APC, Katsina), declared open the public hearing of the bill on Tuesday.
According to Mark, electronic fraudsters posed a great danger to the country and so there is the need to tackle their activities in order to attract foreign investment.
The committee chairman Senator Umaru Dahiru (PDP, Sokoto), also noted that electronic fraud was a threat to world economies and Nigeria being a developing economy should enact appropriate laws to deal with the challenges.
Although the bill has yet to be enacted, for Nigerians on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts, the consensus is that it simply amounts to an attempt to silence the voice of the people.
Already, social media perceptive Nigerians, who are not taking the lawmakers’ plan lightly, have swung into action to thwart what they described as plans by the government to silence the voice of the people.
Indeed, Victor Mbidi, a social media analyst, Online Editor and Presenter at Channels Television, hosted a G+ Hangout on Wednesday, where he urged Nigerians to share their thoughts on the “infamous” bill. The hangout, which was free and open to all, witnessed a large participation. It also featured live voice and video conversations.
It is therefore not surprising that the social media frenzy has begun. Trust Nigerians, who do not take issues that border on their freedom of expression lightly, they have already begun changing their Twitter biographies and handles to reflect their angst against the proposal.
A ‘visual stroll’ along Twitter also reveals that some other persons have since changed their Avatars to reflect the situation at hand. Little wonder, images with the inscription, ‘NASS, leave our social media alone,’ are taking over their timelines.
While this is not be the first time that lawmakers or government agency will be moving to censor the social media fora in the country, the latest action by NASS appears to be the icing on the cake.
The Bureau of Public Enterprise in September said it planned to draw up possible regulations for the use of social media in the country.
The Director-General of the agency, Benjamin Dikki, revealed that the bureau would apply its authority to regulate materials uploaded on the various social media platforms.
“In line with its reform mandate, the bureau plans to initiate necessary policies and the legal framework for the regulation of the social media in the country,” Chigbo Anichebe, head of the Bureau’s public communication, had said in a statement. However, very little of no attention was paid to the announcement.
The latest move by the National assembly comes as a rude shock to Nigerians who are active on new media forums, leading to a massive outrage.
Comments have been pouring in torrents from the likes of Popular Afrobeat artiste, Seun Kuti, who simply asked, “How many years for una wey dey government wey dey steal our future(money)? Well me I am ready for una seven years for saying the truth.”
Also, Jayla Peperempe, in a tweet said, “I actually think this law is mostly for them Dino Melaye, El-Rufai and boys. Nobody got time for floor members.”
DoubleEph also queried the move, saying, “So many thoughts going through my head on this bill – for instance, what will be GEJ’s punishment for bringing Facebook to Nigeria?”
“Sending social media critics to jail for seven years? Wow! National Assembly o! Time for union…Union of Social Media Critics…USMC,” screamed Ògbóni Olúmîde on Twitter.
Stopcorruption also boarded the critic wagon. He said, “Nigerian Senate obnoxious plan to jail social mediacritics: a dangerous inquisition to the tenets of democracy and good governance.”
A debate has also begun on the BBC Africa Twitter handle as it has also broadcast the threat.
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