Stakeholders urged to reject anti-media bill

Stakeholders appearing in today’s senate public hearing on the proposed bill for an Act to prohibit frivolous petitions, known as the Social Media Bill, have been urged to reject the bill and its content in Nigeria’s democratic interest.
A group known as Freedom of Information Coalition in Nigeria (FOICN), which made the call at the weekend, said the proposed bill was attempting to gag the press. The Chairman, Board of Governors of the Coalition, Walter Duru, told journalists in Abuja that it behoves on the National Assembly to scuttle passage of the bill for the overall good of Nigerians.
“The bill is draconian, anti-media and anti-masses. Every Nigerian must stand to resist it. All stakeholders must come out en-mass to shoot down the bill at the public hearing.”
“The Frivolous Petitions Bill, popularly referred to as anti-media bill, is on its own frivolous and geared towards taking the country back to the dark days,”  Mr Duru said.
It would be recalled that since its presentation before the Senate by Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, the bill has attracted a lot of opposition and angst from Nigerians.