Group expresses confidence on smooth passage of digital rights, freedom bill

A digital right advocacy group has expressed confidence in the smooth passage of the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill by the current National Assembly.

The bill has passsed its first reading at the National Assembly.

Mr Gbenga Sesan, the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, the advocacy group, said in Lagos last week that the group was hopeful that President Muhammadu Buhari would now sign the bill.

Earlier in the year, the President had declined assent to the bill raising some concerns, which he said, should have been addressed before its passage by the 8th National Assembly.

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According to him, the President was clear when he declined assent to the bill after its passage by the 8th NASS, saying, “that he would be happy to sign the bill if his concerns were addressed.”

Sesan said that in the bid to address the faults,  Paradigm Initiative team collaborated with the Ministry of Justice,  the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and other stakeholders to produce the current version of the bill.

He said as the areas identified had been addressed and expressed optimism that the President would sign the bill.

”So, the quality of stakeholders’ input also gives us confidence that the journey of the bill in the 9th assembly will be smoother,” he stated.

Mr Boye Adegoke, the Programme Manager in Paradigm Initiative,  said that a stakeholder roundtable was held in Abuja to review the reasons President Buhari declined assent to the Bill.

Adegoke said that the roundtable gave an opportunity to get robust stakeholders’ feedback and buy into the objective of the bill from stakeholders.

He said that it was after the roundtable that the bill was revised and that he was glad for the immediate attention it had received from the National Assembly.

According to Adegoke, Hon.  Tahir Mohammed Monguno sponsored the bill at the house and expressed pleasure that the bill had its relevance in the digital age.

The Digital Rights and Freedom Bill seeks to protect the rights of internet users in Nigeria from infringement of their fundamental freedom and guarantee their rights.