Yesterday was World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. It was also the day our dearly beloved Nigerian Senate decided that perhaps that Social Media Bill just couldn’t fly.
DSP Ekweremadu now puts the question and Senate hereby steps down the #FrivolousPetitionsBill SB. 143 sponsored by Senator Bala Na'Allah.
— The Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) May 17, 2016
In case you don’t know what this Bill is about, it required citizens to have accompanying affidavits before they could submit a petition to the government. This means it would have been more expensive and tedious to submit a petition – but that’s not what got people mad.
What got people mad was that the Bill went on to exact (very) extreme penalties for tweets or messages that contain false/malicious statements about a wide range of actors from a group of persons to an institution of government (read: “public office holders”). I’m talking extreme like a fine of N2,000,000 or two years imprisonment.
Obviously, this Bill was against freedom of expression on the Internet and the use of messaging apps like WhatsApp (what is up with governments and WhatsApp?). Officially titled “Frivolous Petitions (Prohibition) Bill, 2015”, the bill had already passed through the first and second reading. But yesterday, a voice a reason came in to stop the madness.
Senator @shehusani says the #FrivolousPetitionsBill will stiffle the press and the social media must not be silenced.
— The Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) May 17, 2016
Although Senate President, Bukola Saraki assured Nigerians that the Bill won’t be passed, a few of us were still skeptical. I mean, the Senate recently rejected a Bill that was pro-gender equality – a Bill which should have been a no-brainer – because “gender equality will turn our women to prostitutes and lesbians”. Our Senate President was also relieved about the results of the hearing, because it’s one thing to speculate and another for it to become a reality
Glad to see that as promised during social media week, #FrivolousPetitionsBill has been officially stepped down https://t.co/WS8YofCo9z
— Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) May 17, 2016
Freedom in the Nigerian cyberspace can be said to be a work in progress with much room left for improvement. Thankfully, there are organisations and activists that are working to ensure citizens’ internet rights are protected.
Yesterday, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria published a report on the state of internet access and freedom in Nigeria. That report showed that even though Nigeria has a long way to go, we also need to work together if we really want to achieve internet freedom here.
I’m just happy that this Bill wasn’t passed. I mean, can you imagine having to go to prison just for ranting on Twitter? The fact that this Bill was drafted at all is worrying, but let’s take a few moments to celebrate this victory.
