NEWS: NIGERIA - No plan to gag media – Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki yesterday reiterated that there is no bill before the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly aimed at gagging the Press, despite the misrepresentation and attacks trailing the Frivolous Petition Bill in the house.
Speaking as Chairman of a sensitization meeting on the implementation of Guidelines on Gender-Based Violence and Young Persons in Nigeria, organized by the Women Arise for Change Initiative in Abuja. Saraki said it is time to end all forms of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). He said the offence is the “most persistent human rights crimes in the world.”

Saraki said any area which the people find objectionable in the bill will be removed when it is being considered by the Senate.



A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu in Abuja said: 


“Finally, 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. 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’s bill not a leadership bill. But I have since met with the President of Online Media Owners who agreed that there’s the 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.
“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,” Saraki said.



Meanwhile, the National Co-ordinator of Odua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, has condemned the bill. The bill seeks to stop the social media from defaming members of the public, including lawmakers.
Adams said in Lagos yesterday that the passage of the bill would negate the Rule of Law and some provisions of the Constitution.
He said there were extant laws which regulated the practice of journalism in the country and these were adequate.
Adams said additional laws, when the country is not under a military rule, was uncalled for.
“I was disappointed that the Senate President allowed the bill to go for Second Reading. The beauty of democracy is allowing people to express their feelings,” he said.

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