That ‘social media bill’

Reactions from the Nigerian public have continued in recent weeks to mount against the latest effort by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to regulate the excesses of some citizens in the exercise of their freedom of speech. The Senate is currently considering a bill titled ‘Frivolous Petitions Bill and Other Matters Connected Thereto’, which the media has dubbed Social Medial bill. The bill, which has passed second reading, is being sponsored by Senate Deputy Majority Leader Bala Na’Allah, APC, Kebbi South. While introducing the bill, Na’Allah dwelt on the risks of “writing frivolous petitions against public officers.” He said this negative trend must be reversed if only the desired objective of the present government is to be met.

The proposed bill makes it illegal to start any type of petition without swearing to an affidavit in a court of law that the content is true. It also proposes up to two years jail term or a fine of N2 million or both for posting an abusive statement via text message, Twitter, WhatsApp or any other form of social media. While condemning the bill in strong terms, some stakeholders including the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Partnership for Media and Democracy in Nigeria (PAMED) all described the move as anti-democratic. While NPAN cautioned the National Assembly against passing any law seeking to abridge the constitutionally guaranteed free-speech in the country, NUJ described the move as not only abominable but also capable of causing irreparable damage to the nation’s democracy. In a statement by its President, Nduka Obaigbena, NPAN insisted that the Senate cannot because of few irritations on social media clamp down on the right of citizens to freely hold and share opinions on such a platform.

Reacting to public hostility towards the social media bill currently being debated by the Senate, President Muhammadu Buhari said his administration remains committed to the protection of free-speech in keeping with democratic traditions. Presidential spokesperson Malam Garba Shehu said in a statement that President Buhari would not assent to any legislation that might be inconsistent with the country’s constitution. Shehu also quoted President Buhari as saying that free-speech is central to democratic societies and that without free-speech, elected representatives would not be able to weigh public feelings about governance issues. While also appreciating public reactions, Senate President Bukola Saraki re-assured Nigerians that the Senate for now has not gone beyond discussing the principles of the bill.

Much as the outcry of the Nigerian public against the social media bill can be understood, the extent to which some users exercise their right to free-speech on such media platforms often violates the right of others to dignity and personal integrity. The need for some form of regulation of the social media is therefore imperative. Some politicians, for instance, recruit thugs to abash and insult their political rivals using social media platforms. It is because the host-firms of social media platforms know the consequences of posting defamatory contents including rumours and blackmail that every posted message is accompanied with a disclaimer notice.

The existence of laws on libel is a reasonable justification for regulating the social media. Nigeria, should the bill scale through all legislative procedures, shall not be the first and only country to control the operations of social media. China, for example, has blocked access to some social media platforms just as some countries including Saudi Arabia do not permit access to pornographic websites.

The accelerated speed at which the social media bill is being debated speaks of the anxiety of senators to shut up the lips of their perceived critics and political opponents. If legislators as well as lawmakers avail Nigerians with all the necessary information about government activities, the propensity of citizens resorting to social media to express their opinions on matters of common national interest would greatly be reduced. Media bill or no, it is also necessary to remind everyone that power comes with responsibility. Unless social media operators and users must do some internal self regulation, externally induced regulation may become inevitable somewhere down the line.