Senate Throws Out Anti-social Media Bill

The senate yesterday withdrew the controversial anti-social media bill from further legislative consideration.

This was sequel to a report by the chairman, Senate committee on Judiciary, Human Right and Legal Matters, Senator David Umaru, who presented the report.

The committee had recommended that the controversial bill be withdrawn, saying the bill if passed into law, would affect the anti-corruption war of the federal government.

It also argued that the passage of the bill would conflict with some provisions of extant Acts, Penal Code, Criminal Code and the CyberCrime Act which had sufficient provisions to address the issues that the Frivolous Petitions Prohibition Bill sought to address.

The recommendation read in parts “The Committee on Judiciary, Human Right and Legal Matters to wish was referred a Bill for an Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petition and other Matters Connected therewith, having considered same, reports negatively thereon and accordingly recommends as follows:

“That the senate do withdraw the bill for an Act to prohibit Frivolous Petition, and other Matters connected therewith.”

Some of the senators who contributed to the report unanimously agreed that the bill be withdrawn.

In his contribution, Senator Dino Melaye said, “This bill will impugn on the information gathering of the police and it is also against the anti-corruption war of this administration.

As one of the sponsors of the freedom of information act, I would find it difficult to support a law that will impugn on the freedom of information Act.

While, Senator Shehu Sani, who lent his voice to killing the bill stated, thus “People in position of authority must learn to tolerate when Nigerians criticise them, I am in support of the withdrawal of this bill. There is an overwhelming opposition to this bill, so to save Nigeria and democracy; we must tolerate the Social media as a channel to reach out to leaders.”

In his remark, minority leader, Godswill Akpabio (vice chairman of the Committee), supported the withdrawal of the bill, saying the people must have their way and they should not be gagged.

He, however, stressed that some aspects of the Bill were still relevant as pointed out by the Chief Justice of Nigeria during the public hearing, saying that incessant petitions must be curbed.

The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who thanked the committee for a thorough work, said “We cannot continue to duplicate our laws. What we have seen today is the beauty of the legislative process, Nigerians must give us the benefit of the doubt to debate bill, and not every bill debated would be passed.”