Calls for Protests and
Demonstrations
Press Statement
The social
media censorship bill currently at the Senate is obnoxious and condemnable. The
“bill for an Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petition and other Matters Connected
therewith”, which is sponsored by Senator Bala Ibn Na’allah of All Progressive
Congress (APC), is an attempt to suppress free speech and protect public
officials from scrutiny. This bill, if passed, proposes as much as a 2-year
jail term or N2million fine for posting “abusive statements” against government
and political office holders through text messages and on WhatsApp, twitter and
other social media platforms.
Also the
bill is proposing that anyone who writes a petition against a public office
holder or government institution must obtain a duly sworn affidavit at the
courts so they can be liable for libel trial should their petitions be found to
be false. This raises the question of who would determine whether a petition is
false or not. Of course no one would dare expose corrupt political office
holders when they know they could land in jail while doing so. Thus politicians
are further protected from the public so they can continue to loot and impose
anti-poor policies without fear of any consequence.
So far, the
bill qualifies as one of the most brazen attempts to gag Nigerians, especially
young people, from freely expressing themselves, criticizing government,
resisting anti-poor policies and exposing the corruption and sleaze of
political office holders. The bill also exposes just how inconsistent the
anti-corruption drive of the government is. The implication of the bill is that
while government is allegedly going after high-profile former political office
holders mainly from the former ruling party, those currently in power are
further protected from public scrutiny and opprobrium so they can loot in
peace.
The
Buhari-led Federal Government had better be prepared to build more jails.
Nigeria’s working masses and youth have always, even in the period of military
dictatorships, defied unjust laws and shall do so with all vigour in the
current circumstance. Any law that goes contrary to the eternal principles of
freedom and justice shall be defied.
We call for
protests and demonstrations across the country until this anti-people bill is
defeated. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC),
students unions and youth groups, communities, pro-masses organizations and
civil societies must organize mass actions including protest marches and
possibly strikes to show to the proponents of this bill that their attempt to
take the country back to the era military dictatorship will be resisted. As
military head of state from 1983 to 1985, Buhari introduced a repressive press
law called Protection Against False Accusation Decree 4 of 1984 which saw to
the jailing of two journalists, Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor, for writing newspaper
articles critical of his government.
The current
“democracy” was fought for and won by the working masses and youth of Nigeria
under some of the most extreme and difficult circumstances. To then ask the
people who fought for this hard-won but limited freedom to submit their liberty
is akin to playing with fire.
It is
particularly shameful that the very same politicians of the ruling All
Progressive Congress (APC) who during the last general election benefitted
immensely from the vibrancy of the social media, which was one platform through
which people freely expressed their anger at the failure of the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) which had held power since 1999, are the same people now
rooting to censor social media. Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West, is
an active social media user and before he came to the Senate is known to have
used social media, twitter especially, to subject the immediate past
administration to scathing criticisms. The same Senator, who proudly flaunts
expensive automobiles ways higher than his legitimate pay, is one of the most
vocal proponents of the social media censorship bill. The likes of El-Rufai,
now Kaduna State Governor, openly upbraided Jonathan’s government on social
media including exposing the monumental sleaze and corruption of the
government. In doing all of these, they also made many claims and accusations
against the government, some of which could have been inaccurate yet they were
not imprisoned for it. Now having used the power of the social media to clinch
political power, they are not prepared to be subjected to the same criticism. The
fact that the PDP senators also spoke in support of the bill when it came up
for the second reading shows that there is no fundamental difference between
them and APC. Indeed, Senator Ben Bruce of PDP who apparently speaks more on
social media than in the Senate did not object to the bill as he kept mute.
And the
reason is simple. The current elements in power only talk about change, in
reality they are committed to preserving and running the same capitalist system
and anti-poor policies that are responsible for Nigeria’s alarming inequality
and backwardness. Moreso, with the fall in crude oil price and revenue decline,
they are planning to introduce austerity measures which would inflict more pain
and hardship on the working people and poor masses. But they remember January
2012 when few months after inauguration, a nationwide strike and mass movement
almost brought down Jonathan’s government when he attempted to remove the
so-called fuel subsidy and increase fuel price. In that movement, the social
media played its first major role as a powerful tool for social mobilization.
To prevent such an occurrence is the reason they are attempting to gag the
populace
through the social media censorship bill.
Hassan Taiwo Soweto Michael Ogundele
National Coordinator (07033697259) National Secretary
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