No amount of criticism can make the Senate back down on Social Media censorship bill – Senate President

Following the move by the senate against social media, a Bill making it an offence to write a petition against a public officer without a sworn affidavit and it criticism by many organizational bodies and the citizens, the senate has reacted stating that no amount of attack on the bill would make the Senate back down on the proposed bill.
Speaking when Senator Dino Melaye (APC Kogi West) raised the issue under matters of urgent importance during Thursday’s plenary, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki acknowledged the roles played by the social media in the development of the nation’s democracy but stressed that the Senate would not fold its hand and allowed it to be abused by some elements.
Saraki criticized the excesses of some social media platforms and their operators, who according to him, had published numerous materials to undermine the integrity of the upper chamber of the National Assembly, and faulted the negative remarks that have greeted the proposed social media censorship bill.
While insisting that senators cannot be blackmailed to drop the bill, he acknowledged the existence of freedom of speech in the nation’s constitution and advised the social media to be fair and accurate in their reportage.
Saraki, who said the upper chamber cannot let “a few bad eggs” taint the image of the social media, said: “People must be held responsible for their action. I believe what has been raised is important.”
Earlier in his point of order, Senator Melaye expressed concern over the growing unlawful activities of some social media users in the country, asking that the social media operators should be held accountable for their reports and publications.
He warned that if no measure was put in place to check the activities of some social media outfits, especially SaharaReporters and the likes, the social media could destroy the nation’s democracy.
According to him, “If there are no measures put in place, this particular SaharaReporters and others have the capacity to drag democracy into crisis because they have become very reckless.
“They make laborious statements that have no content of fact at all and because of the Nigeria’s perception it is very important that we check their activities.
“While I celebrate the social media as major actors, this Senate should not be blackmailed or cowed because of the social media. You will read time innumerable, SaharaReporters casting aspersion on the integrity of the Senate. The Senate is a sacred hallowed chamber.
“The bill moved yesterday on frivolous petitions have been misconstrued by this same people and this Senate should not keep quiet because this can have a negative effect on the Nation.This SaharaReporters have commercialized their consciences and moneytised their operations and are now tools being used against perceived political enemies.
“SaharaReporters operate from New York and this Senate must write the US government to draw their attention to the clandestine operations of SaharaReporters,” he said.
The lawmaker ended by stating that while social media platforms operated by some credible individuals must be celebrated, the activities of those used for intimidation and blackmail must be checked.
In his contribution, the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume lamented that the activities of some social media operators were getting out of control, stressing that “It is not only SaharaReporters; you have the privilege where people just wake up because of the advancement in ICT and start writing whatever without being held responsible.”
While recalling that he was once accused by an online magazine of importing 400 golf cars for Boko Haram insurgents, he maintained that the Freedom of Information Act, FOI, and the freedom of speech must be looked into to cater for the need to regulate.
“We are a law making body and we have a responsibility to make laws that hold people responsible for actions that they take. People should not just publicize anything without being held responsible,” he said.
Also speaking, Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti South) stressed that the social media was an innovation that had benefitted Nigeria a great deal recalling that the social media helped in election and in information dissemination but added that their excesses was becoming a challenge.
According to her: “The major problem have been the people who do not have any laid down rule as to what to do on the social media and they call themselves pressmen.
“I have been a journalist all my life and the major and important tenet of that profession is that you must be fair to all concerned.But on this issue of social media, nobody is fair to anybody; in fact I have read stories about myself where I never participated in anything that was reported,” she said.
Senator Olujimi, who noted that due to the activities of the social media, she had deactivated her account on Twitter, Faceboke, WhatApps and other social media, said: “They used the social media as a medium to castigate anybody that was in politics and anyone that was in the ruling party.
“It was our turn the last time and now it is the turn of the ruling party; that is the way it has been, when you are in office they must have something against you.
“But the most annoying one is castigating the entire Senate and bringing it to disrepute, we must be able to fight that and we must look at the laws and do something concrete.
“We must go to court against those people, we must get judgment and we must make a scapegoat of some of these so that outside there they will know it is not business as usual. “
Eventually, the Senate referred the matter to the Committees on Ethics Privileges and Public Petitions; Committee on Information Communication Technology; and Committee on Judiciary to check what obtains in other climes and report back to the Red Chamber in one month.