A cross section of Nigerians has expressed outrage over the bill seeking a two-year jail term for any person who makes an allegation or publishes any statement or petition in newspaper, radio and social media networks, including Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp. The bill passed the second reading in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly yesterday.

The bill, which was sponsored by Senator Ibn Na’Allah, All Progressives Congress (APC), Kebbi South, frowns at posting of what he described as inciting statements on any medium of whatever description, against another person, institutions of government or any public office holder. According to the APC senator, anyone found guilty of the offence shall be imprisoned or pay N2 million as fine.

Given the implications of such a draconian law vis-a-vis freedom of speech guaranteed in the 1999 Constitution, as amended, News Express sought the reaction of Nigerians. The following quickly reacted annoyingly, through the social media, berating the bill which they believe should not take place in a democratic country like Nigeria:

Olamide Adepoju: “Is this is the real face of change? President Jonathan signed Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill into law, and the APC government is using it against him. Now, Buhari want to use his APC members to outlaw it. They should invest more on cells. The millions of Nigerians youths they made jobless: there will be abode for them. Failed government.”

Tochukwu Ojukwu: “This is exactly what you get when you chose a man who does not know what democracy is as president. Come to USA where I live and see the way Donald Trump and other Republican contenders are abusing President Obama on daily basis; still, you will not hear Obama respond because he, Obama, is a democrat. Sorry for Nigeria.”

Elizabeth Morakinyo: “Hmmm! No more room to air one’s view? The rebirth of dictatorship and tyrant-government is at work. I have always said that three missions of the devil have come to play in Nigeria: To kill, steal and destroy. Nigeria is no longer at ease. Things have fallen, as there is more intensified economic hardship and increase of job loss. I say shame on all those gullible ones that aided the birth of this so-called change which has negative impact on Nigerians.”

Ekawu James: “This is actually happening because the Senate and the APC-led government are filled with liars. It’s because they are being criticised for doing the wrong things and for that they are ganging up against Nigerians. What a non-sense legislation!”

Moses Cockeyed: “They are not focused in the discharge of their duties as public office holders. Do they think they are in the National Assembly to represent themselves? Or, is it now that they are at the receiving end that they want to stop the propaganda and rumour mongering? Impossible! There must be room for checks and balances in a democracy. Nigeria doesn’t belong to only them; it belongs to all of us.”

Kunle Abiodun: “Dame Patience Jonathan is really a prophetess. All she said about the agenda of (Gen Muhammadu) Buhari is coming to pass: that he is coming to jail everybody, and all his perceived foes. She warned us then that nobody should vote for him. But the gullible, sentimentalists and push-overs could not discern her divine prophesies. Buhari has to be ready to build more prisons to accommodate both ghost and real human social media users.”

Kayode Lawal: “The APC used propaganda to oust the immediate past PDP administration, but now wants to close the windows of propaganda in Nigerian politics, because the party is undemocratic. Were they not taught in school that propaganda machinery is one of the basic ingredients in politics.”

Busayo Arowolo: “Many more thanks to GEJ who gave all and sundry the freedom to air their views, whether false or true. Some even went as far as making caricature of him; but he left all for God, which God almighty saw and later made him the icon of African democracy. Really, the Senate should know that Nigerians do also comment on the foreign social media political posts, as they do in the local social media posts. And there is nothing like this nonsensical bill.”

•Photo shows the National Assembly Complex.

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