Hate speech bill: Group warns NASS against plans to suppress fundamental human rights

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations against human rights violations on Wednesday warned the Senate to jettison the bills which seek to regulate the social media and curb ‘hate speech’.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, the spokesman of the group, Comrade Olufemi Lawson described both bills as attempts to stifle freedom of expression.

Comrade Lawson who also spoke against the continued detention of one Comrade  Ibrahim Dan Malik , an activist and a former Commissioner of information in Zamfara State on the orders of the state governor,  Alhaji Bello Matawale said  that one of the tenets of democracy is freedom of expression, as such any legislation seeking to abridge free speech should have no place in democratic state.

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Lawson stated that “degree of freedom in a country is measured from the tone and temperament of its press, as well as the diversity and array of voices on its airwaves.

He maintained that in a democracy, criticism of government no matter how scathing can never amount to hate speech, adding that democracy is nourished when “dissidents” are able to air their opinions without fear of harassment, intimidation or arrest.

According to him, “The disingenuous argument of Pro-Hate Speech and Social Media Bills advocates is that such laws should be put in place in the national interest

“What is apparent is that the phrase in the national interest,’ is one of the most frequently evoked and most flagrantly abused expressions in Nigeria’s political dictionary.

“Genuine national interest is a principle and practice based on justice and fairness to one and all. It more or less involves devotion to the idea and ideal of a nation, promotion of its sundry interests, defence of its territorial integrity and most importantly, cultivation of a sound stable standard of morality and accountability

“It is an idea which postulates the supremacy of the nation over the individual, while also recognizing the nation derives its power, legitimacy, even from its ability and readiness to protect the individuals who constitute it, its capacity for ensuring the existence of justice and equity. And in normal circumstances, “in the national interest” should mean “in the interest of the nation.

“The sad reality is that in our clime, what determines what National interest/security is, is who defines it”

The Group, therefore, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the detained citizen Dan Malik

He promised that the group submitted a strong wooded petition against the continued detention of activist to the National Human Rights Commission and the National Judicial Commission over the illegal detention of the activist.

Also speaking on the fate of the detained citizen Dan Malik, a constitutional lawyer, Barrister Kayode Ajulo stated efforts were in the top gear by a team of lawyers to approach a higher court of competent jurisdiction to seek for his immediate bail.