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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