We don’t have any anti-social media bill before us, says Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki has maintained that there is no bill before the senate that is aimed at gagging or stifling the media.

He said areas that the people find objectionable in the frivolous petition would be removed when it is being considered clause-by-clause by the Senate.

He was speaking in Abuja on Monday during a sensitisation meeting on the implementation of guidelines on gender based violence and young persons in Nigeria.

The programme was organised by the Women Arise for Change Initiative in Abuja.

“I want to throw more light on the frivolous petition bill. There is a lot of misrepresentation which has led to attacks on the senate with some wondering whether we want to gag the press,” Sanni Onogu, his chief press secretary, quoted him as saying.

“We don’t have any anti-social media bill before us. What we have is the frivolous petition bill which concerns cases of writing and submission of petitions.

“Unfortunately there is a section 4 of the bill which many people are not comfortable with‎. This bill is a private member bill not a leadership bill. But I have since met with the president Of Online Media Owners who agree there’s need for further self regulation.

“When we are considering the bill line-by-line, we will remove any area that people find objectionable because this is a senate that is for the people and will not make any anti-people law.”

He added that GBV should be decisively tackled because it poses grave danger to both present and future generations.

“Gender Based Violence is one of the most persistent human right crimes in the world, one of the least prosecuted offences, and one of the greatest coercion to lasting peace and development. He stated that every child in the country has a right to be protected against GBV,” he said.

“These human rights violations pose serious consequences for us all and our future generations if left un-addressed. Efforts being made at various quarters to ensure peace and security, reduce poverty and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals will be futile without addressing these crimes.

“The young person in Nigeria constitutes the most important resource that our country has. They represent over 60 percent of our population which is a significant work force and human resource base for Nigeria’s economic development. The ability to protect them from Gender Based Violence sharpens their capacity to be part of that great future we desire for our country.

“A child that is vulnerable to GBV will end up being as inefficient as an unsharpened and blunt knife. He/She will not have the cutting edge to deliver efficiently. Let me state it here today that if we decide as a nation that violence against young person must stop, nothing stops us from pursuing it as an ideal and achieving it.

“What we must be reminded is that we all have made a choice as a people and choices have consequences. We must all resolve to work across all our political prejudices to honestly confront the challenge of GBV against young person in our country as a matter of right for every child.”