The best time to kill social media bill is now, CSOs tell n’assembly

Some civil society organisations (CSOs) have asked the national assembly to discard the bill seeking to regulate social media.

In a statement on Friday, the CSOs asked federal lawmakers not to consider the bill in order to show commitment to the welfare of Nigerians.

The CSOs said they have noted calls for the bill to be “quickly passed” following the role social media played in the #EndSARS protests

“The coordination and consistency of this obnoxious demand, especially at a time when Nigerians have been very vocal against police brutality and are demanding a better Nigerian police institution through the social media, has compelled us to immediately decry such demand as insensitive, retrogressive and anti-democracy,” the statement read.

“The overwhelming demand for police reform in Nigeria today is a product of government’s insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians for a very long time. In the same way, any attempt to pass the social media bill will only further agitate the polity and widen the distrust of Nigerians towards the government.

“Considering recent events in the country, particularly the escalation of violence against peaceful protesters in Lekki, Lagos and other parts of the country, it has become extremely important for the Nigerian government to demonstrate its commitment to accountability to the people; and the social media remains a very crucial platform where citizens can lead such conversation.

“In addition, recent developments in the country proves that the social media is playing an invaluable role in deepening Nigeria’s democracy and promoting citizens’ demand for accountability, hence; a very important thing that government must do at this time is to ensure that any conversation about restricting digital freedom or freedom of speech is sharply considered a threat to Nigerians and Nigeria’s civic space.

“It is our hope, therefore, that the National Assembly would take the lead in demonstrating government’s commitment to the Nigerian people in these trying times, and kill the social media bill once and for all, and make sure that a more democratic approach is employed to deal with fake news in the country.”

The Centre for Liberty (CFL) and Concerned Nigerians are among the 15 groups that signed the petition.