Thread by @OrderPaper

Good morning Tweeps. As usual, we would live tweet the Public Hearing on the Social Media Bill holding today at the National Assembly Complex. Original title of the bill is "Protection From Internet Falsehood and Manipulations Bill 2019"

#SocialMediaBill
#NoToSocialMediaBill

This is the entrance to the Conference Hall venue of the Public Hearing. The event is organized by the @NGRSenate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters chaired by Distinguished Senator Opeyemi Bamidele @SenatorMOB.

#SocialMediaBill
#NoToSocialMediaBill

orderpaper.ng/analysis-what-…

Did you know that the Bill was sponsored by Senator Muhammad Sani Musa representing Niger State East in @NGRSenate? Did you know that a version tagged “Frivolous Petitions (Prohibition) Bill 2015” was introduced in 2016 during the 8th Assembly but failed?

#NoToSocialMediaBill

It's 10:15 am and the venue for the public hearing is still looking scanty with the event yet to kick start.
#NoToSocialMediaBill

While we wait for the event to start, how about a quick glance at the bill.
#SocialMediaBill
#NoToSocialMediaBill

Representatives of the @HQNigerianArmy are present at the hearing but it is still yet to start
#SocialMediaBill #socialmedia #NoToSocialMediaBill

VIDEO: People are beginning to trickle into the hall. Members of the press are also setting up their equipments fot coverage of the event.

#NoToSocialMediaBill
#SocialMediaBill

The public hearing was originally advertised to begin by 11.00 am prompt but up till this moment, we are yet to get started although the hall is beginning to get filled up.

#NoToSocialMediaBill
#SocialMediaBill

The Convener of #RevolutionNow movement, @YeleSowore is here having a swell time with the media and CSOs.

#NoToSocialMediaBill
#SocialMediaBill

Convener Revolution Now, Yele Sowore just got to the venue, but the event is still yet to start.
#SocialMediaBill #NoTosocialMediaBill #socialmedia

The event has begun with Chairman @NGRSenate committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters currently giving the opening speech.

The Sponsor of the bill, Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East) is also seated. To his Right is the Senator @sennwaoboshi

Bamidele Opeyemi in his speech said that the National assembly will not shy from making laws that will be acceptable and stand the test of time. It should be stated that the views of stakeholders matter to us because without your participation, this process will be incomplete.

He also said that this of course is the beauty of democracy and this public hearing underscores the importance attached to the process. As a deliberate and responsive @NGRSenate that our reports reflects with the yearnings of the citizenry.

Bamidele: One of the high points of the bill to us is the myriad of reactions that trailed it. Our task this morning is to listen to your various perspectives to enable have a fair hearing of your stand point. Your views will form the basis of your recommendations to the Senate

The Senate President, @DrAhmadLawan takes the floor to give the key note address.

@DrAhmadLawan: I am pleased to be here because the bill is crucial and it has generated a lot of interest. It is not unexpected because it is related to the internet and it has affected our lives. Although it makes our lives easier but makes us unable to trust some information.

@DrAhmadLawan: We need to remember that there are multiple positions to any arguments. We should ready to hear the other side no matter how we feel strongly. When we listen, we put our ourselves on a better ground.

@DrAhmadLawan: In the legislature, we listen to ourselves. I agree that matters of freedom of speech should not be compromised. As a people, we cannot stop talking of issues that will disrupt freedom of speech.
#NoToSocialMediaBill #SocialMediaBill

@DrAhmadLawan takes his exit from the venue to attend another pubic hearing after finishing his key note address.

#NoToSocialMediaBill #SocialMediaBill #SocialMedia

The Executive Vice Chairman, @NgComCommission, Prof Umar Garba just arrived at the hearing.

#NoToSocialMediaBill #SocialMediaBill #SocialMedia

Sponsor of the bill, Senator Sani Musa, speaking on his interest of introducing the bill:

Musa: I am a stake holder in Nigerian projects. Nigeria needs a legal framework that will guard our social media space.

#NoToSocialMediaBill #SocialMediaBill #SocialMedia

Musa: I am aware of Section 39(1) of the Constitution on the freedom of expression. The bill is not a breach of fundamental human rights. It is in my interest to see it enacted. If this bill is accepted in Nigeria, so be it. If it is not ,I will continue to push on other grounds.

Musa: National security is one factor that must be taken into consideration and this is the reason I felt this bill is important. With a population of about 200m people, we tend to toil with natoinl security.

Musa: The protection of minors is zero. The bill helps with the protection of human dignity.

Musa: When I conceived this bill, I did not consult with anybody. Nobody is going to deny the use of social media. You continue to post what is reasonable but with a line. Nobody is saying you should not seek redress or criticise the Government.

Musa: A lot of people have gotten married through social network. That is a very good positive aspect you cannot deny it.

Musa: Despite a high data figure, we don't have a data protection law. There are infants, minors of 13 years holding smart phones. ISIS are recruiting people having smart phones. Why don't we regulate it?

Musa: Doing stories with image in another country, saying it is in our country. Is that right?
The bill is not another form of censorship. There are extant laws, if they are no more effective, we must be bold enough to bring new ones. It is to protect public interest.

Musa: It is to protect child abuse, religious incitements etc. I want to appeal to Nigeria particularly the millennials that We have no other country to lie and depend on. I as the sponsor is saying, it must go through. It is not for me or you but the generations to come.

Umar Garba of the @NgComCommission at the hearing.

Presentation by President, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Chris Isigwuzo is next

Chris: This bill in summary seeks to pigeonhole Nigerians from freely expressing themselves. The most cherished thins about Democracy is the right of people to free expression. The @NGRSenate derives it's legitimacy from the people. The NUJ is totally opposed to this bill.

Chris: We want to advise the sponsors to withdraw same. It is unnecessary proliferation of laws. We have the criminal code, penal code and cyber crime act which have dealt with the issue of misinformation or disinformation.

Chris: Fake news is worse than Corona virus, no doubt but people should not be stopped. Government can regulate platform not users.

Presentation by Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director, International Press centre is next. 👇

Lanre: We will like to remind the sponsor and committee that Nigeria is a signatory to African charter and human rights and other International conventions that protect the rights to freedom of expression. We should not embark on the journey that will negate these principles.

Lanre: It is not about amending it but dropping it in its entirety. We should not compare to China because for all intent and purpose, it is a dictatorship.

@NgComCommission boss, Umar Garba to present next. 👇

@NgComCommission: We do not regulate the content. We are only responsible for providing infrastructure.

@NgComCommission: Certain provisions could be used to infringe the rights of people. It gives too much power to the Nigerian police to the extent of being the judge. Some provisions of the bill are already covered.

@NgComCommission: It has general drafting anomalies. To the national assembly, there maybe a complete redraft of the bill.

Executive Director of @PLACNG, @ClementNwankwo is currently speaking

@ClementNwankwo: It seeks to infringe on human rights. Any talk about amending the Provisions of the bill is not the view of a lot of Nigerians. Citizens suffer when police stop people to open their phones.

@ClementNwankwo: If passed, it will enforce them to do much more. We have problem with human rights now. Handing this Government with another bill will be very dangerous for us and our democracy. This bill should be discountenanced and dismissed

@HQNigerianArmy rep, Solomon Udoma, deputy Chief of policy and planning is speaking next.

@HQNigerianArmy: The mission of the Nigerian army is to win all land battle in defense of the nation. This is to have a responsive army in constitutional roles. We welcome this bill for reasons for national security.

@HQNigerianArmy: Even in advanced democracies, we have had the Government that have taken measures to promote national security. The effect of internet falsehood, it undermines leadership, it can be used to disrupt the economy.

@HQNigerianArmy: It has serious impact on our operations, lower troops morale. It misinforms members of the military. We have submitted 31 points. We urge you to look at the bill again and consider it for the interest of the Nigerian security.

A representative of Law Reforms Commission to present next.

LRC: The long title doesn't indicate who the bill is protecting? The bill has given enormous powers to the law enforcement agencies. We should not be in a hurry to criminalise every action because the courts and prisons are very full.

LRC: There have to be a flow of sequence seeking legal redress. There are so many grammatical issues in the bill. We have to remember International Conventions.

Programmes Officer, Center for Democracy and Development, Yusuf Shamsudeen is presenting next.

CDD: Nigeria is facing a lot of security challenges. It doesn't provide a standard procedure for investigation. Too much is given to the police and it is operationally dubious. The police at the moment is not funded and not digital apathetic.

CDD: The Government can work with service providers.

Amnesty International: The bill is a threat to Freedom of Expression.

Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho

Chairman of Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria:
On paid contents, this bill is misleading and the Provision should be deleted.

Executive Director, @YIAGA, Samson Itodo to present next

@YIAGA: The 9th @nassnigeria should halt the bill from further consideration. It contravenes provisions for international instruments. Any attempt to regulate will infringe on the rights of Young women. All of you are beneficiaries of Democratic process.

@YIAGA: Any attempt to regulate this space diminish the level of our Democratic process. It will remove food from the table of Young people.

@YIAGA: I want to plead with you that your trash this bill because it goes beyond infringing of human rights but diminishes the entire sense of nationhood. As a senate committee, call on your colleagues to kill this bill.

Chairman Daar Communications Raymond Dokpesi Jnr presenting next

DAAR Communications: We are completely opposed to this bill. This bill should be trashed now as opposed to be amended.

Publisher @SaharaReporters, @YeleSowore to present next

@YeleSowore: This bill is not about the protection of Nigerians but protection of those in power. The sponsor doesn't know how the internet works. With VPN, you can mask your identity, it is because this bill was plagiarized from Singapore.

@YeleSowore: The Nigerian Government is the biggest purveyors of fake news. Let us not point Government to the 1999 constitution. The constitution is outdated if we have a constitution that is for the people, this bill will never have been considered this bill is dead.

Esa Onoja, Chief of Staff, @officialEFCC: We are neither for nor against the bill.

EFCC: Giving police enforcement of this bill, that is an anomaly. If this bill is to go forward, there are many provisions that can be aggregated. We all know the dangers of fake news, the exact boundary between free speech and falsehood which the NASS should bear in mind.

Convener of Concerned citizens, @adeyanjudeji to present next

@adeyanjudeji: We should be mindful of the pit we dig with this bill

Closing remarks of the Chairman @NGRSenate Committee on Judiciary, Human rights and legal matters,
Bamidele Opeyemi: We have not taken a stance as a @NGRSenate. We will take our time to go through every memorandum and based on this do a report.

Bamidele Opeyemi: This is a private member bill. The @NGRSenate cannot be held responsible for a member bill. We will advise the @NGRSenate based on our findings. No one has any firm position on this. We know the eyes of the world are on us.

The session came to a close at 2:50pm after the Chairman @NGRSenate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters Bamidele Opeyemi finished his closing remarks.