Hate And Social Media Bills, The Federal Government And The Concerned Public -By Damilare Jeremiah Odeyemi

Over the past few weeks, the news making rounds among the people, at the front burner across all media platforms, points directly or indirectly to both Hate speech bill and Social Media bill.  These two topical issues, having being tabled at the precinct of Nigeria – Abuja, have left in their trail chains of caustic actions and reactions from far and near. At the peak of public outcry, the United Nations (UN) and United Kingdom (UK) also joined the foray in expressing their concern about Nigeria government’s plan to gag media in the country.

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, November 5, re-introduced a bill that will regulate the use of social media in the country. The bill, ‘Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulations Bill 2019’ was one of the 11 bills read for the first time at the floor of the house.

Apparently, both Hate speech and Social Media bills, with respect to the posture of Nigeria as we speak, are both borne out of frivolity and shirk of responsibility of those in the helm of affairs in Nigeria. Whether or not the rationale which ignites the bills could be reasoned with, it is no gainsaying that the law makers of Nigeria have veered, with a dearth verifiable justification, from pressing matters to a measurable possible extent of frivolity. With the inclusion of death penalty for defaulters in the bill and a reappraisal of the government dastard actions against journalists and media personalities in the country, the future is gloomy for Nigeria’s growing democracy. 

In another sense, lack of accountability and insincerity on the public have long been ascribed with the ruling class in Nigeria. Therefore, bringing up such bill in a time like this, when Nigeria is striving so hard to startle and reinforce local development towards a balanced and equitable growth, is unarguable an initiative put in place to shield them off any stern reprimand that could follow their feign motive to help Nigeria grow better, one which is shrouded in the aired justification for the land borders closure

The sponsor of the social media legislation, Sen. Mohammed Sani Musa, heralded that the bill was aimed at curbing fake news on the internet. However, the rationale behind the bill begs the question – to what extent does violation of the fundamental human right justify this mechanism brought forward by Nigerian Senate to halt the spread of fictitious news on internet?

According to statistics, Nigeria currently ranks highest in number of internet users with over 111.6 million internet users in Africa. This active use of the internet by Nigerians is in diverse areas such which includes, but not limited to, work-related activities, social media engagements and online transactions. How laudable could it have been thought by the principal propellant of the inhumane social media bill to mute the media despite its usefulness in this dispensation?

Before now, we have heard and seen several occasions where the youths have been openly bullied because of using their desired mobile phones on the basis that there are tendencies that they could be into some internet fraudulent activities. This assumption has led some unscrupulous persons to delve into people’s personal details on their mobile phones. Since the operational exercise of the social media bill will not be carried out by Senate members but by some assigned individuals or bodies should it be passed to law, public harassment by the supposed law enforcement individuals, bodies or agencies would know bound in invading into people’s personal life and even milking people of their resources for failure to comply with their government-approved “search warrant”