The National Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams has faulted the Senate for seeking to introduce a bill aimed at making it an offence to publish any petition or complaint against a public officer without being supported with a sworn affidavit, as the Senate President, Bukola Saraki has insisted that the senate will not be intimidated on the proposed social media bill to back out.
Reacting to the bill, entitled ‘An act to prohibit frivolous petitions and other matters connected therewith’, Adams said such steps is dangerous for the nation’s nascent democracy.
He, however, appealed to President Buhari not to bow to pressure from corrupt politicians to sign the bill into law, saying the people of the country are eagerly looking forward to the president’s promise to make democracy stronger.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, the OPC boss described the bill as the same with the obnoxious military Decree 4 of 1984, saying the trend is worrisome.
According to Adams, with the introduction of the bill, the Senate is plotting a coup against the media in order to gag it.
He said “I see this as a coup against the media, which by extension, is a coup against the people.
It is disturbing that the same senate that got its mandate from the people is now seeking to gag them. I fear that something terrible is really wrong.
“In 1984, during the administration of General Muhammadu Buhari, the Decree 4 was introduced and journalists were jailed for doing their job of writing. It is curious that a similar bill is being planned by the senate now that Buhari is a civilian president. The media is the life wire of democracy, and any attempt to gag it spells doom for our nascent democracy.”
The OPC leader said the introduction of the Freedom of Information (FOI) act was expected to bring sanity into the system, with the belief that public officers would be wary of getting involved in any fraudulent activity, saying the introduction of the new bill may mean a free reign for public officers to deep their hands into the nation’s coffers, knowing that nobody is watching them.
He said “I am not encouraging people to defame anybody. Rather, I am appealing to media practitioners in the country to do their job with every sense of responsibility and to see themselves as the pillar on which our democracy rests. I also believe that the courts is the last hope of the common man. Therefore, I will advise that instead of seeking to gag the media let anybody who feels defamed by another person approach the court for redress. I think that is a better way of strengthening our democracy.”

Senate President Says no Backing Out

Meanwhile, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has said no amount of attacks arising from it would make the Red Chamber abandon the proposed law.
Saraki, who acknowledged the roles of the social media in the development of the country’s growing democracy, however, said the Senate would not fold its hand to allow it abused by some elements.
Speaking Thursday, when Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West, raised the issue under matters of urgent importance, during the day’s plenary, the Senate President berated activities of some social media platforms, which he said, had published numerous materials to undermine the integrity of the Red Chamber.
While flaying the criticisms that have greeted the proposed social media censorship bill, Saraki insisted that senators cannot be blackmailed to drop the bill.
Saraki, while acknowledging the excesses of some of the social media operators, however, acknowledged the existence of freedom of speech in the nation’s law book.
Even as he advised that the social media should be fair and accurate in their reportage, Saraki said the Senate cannot let `a few bad eggs’ taint the image of the social media.
“People must be held responsible for their action. I believe what has been raised is important,” Saraki said.