The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP and other social media activists have vowed to resist any attempt aimed at muzzling freedom of speech following moves by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to regulate social media.
It would be recalled that NBC, on October 3, sent a bill to the National Assembly, seeking to repeal and reenact the NBC act, CAP L11 laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004. The bill, if passed into law, would enable NBC to regulate social media.
Speaking when he hosted Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, at the commission’s headquarters after the bill was submitted, Balarabe Ilelah, NBC Director-General, described the ills of social media as a “monster”.
The broadcast regulator said that it had commenced engagement with major social media platforms to curb the excesses of their users.
The development has stimulated controversies amongst Nigerians who alleged that the FG was putting pressure on the social media companies to unduly restrict their fundamental human rights.
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Reacting to NBC’s move, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, called on the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to out rightly reject the bill.
According to SERAP, the bill, if passed into law, would criminalize the legitimate and lawful exercise of the human rights of Nigerians.
SERAP, in a letter signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the move to regulate social media would be “inconsistent and incompatible with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations.”
According to SERAP, “The proposed bill raises serious concerns about the rights to freedom of expression and privacy and would lead to digital siege.”
Also reacting, social media influencer, Mathias Atule, said FG is trying to stop Nigerians from criticizing it, hence the reason for the bill.
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“Nigeria has gone beyond that. If we are practising democracy, then we should practice it to the fullest. This thing won’t work. They don’t want to know the truth but we will keep telling them,” he said.
Meanwhile, another social media user, Monica Adikwu said that some social media platforms, like Tiktok, have aided moral decadence among children.
“If the regulation is about stopping some of these Tiktok users from posting bad content, I think I will support it.
“But if the move is to stop criticism, that’s where we will all have problems with the government. Because I don’t understand why some people don’t like criticism. No government and even individuals can grow without constructive criticism.
Also speaking on the matter, the immediate past Director-General of Voice of Nigeria VON, Osita Okechukwu, expressed optimism that the bill would be rejected.
“Nigerians should be allowed to enjoy the freedom guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.