FIGHTING CORRUPTION OR OPPRESSING HUMAN RIGHTS

Opinion Article

President Muhammadu Buhari

Last week saw the Carnival-like celebration of the international anti-corruption and human rights day in Nigeria. The significance behind marking international days should be for us to recounts the level of success we have achieved or retardation we have faced in achieving the objectives that set those days aside from others. While the finger points squarely at the politicians for being the primary perpetrators of corruption, the Nigerian masses are crying loud for their fundamental human rights being short-lived by the government and her mecinaries.

Ahmad Lawan, President of the Senate

Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker House of Representatives

The 9th National Assembly of Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila seem to be fast and furious when it comes to initiating and passing bills. The regulation of the Social Media bill which is intended by  the sponsor to curb the peddling of fake news and hate speech have not only caught the glimpse of Nigerians but have sparked public uproar as it will to a large extent limit the guaranteed right to freedom of speech, conscience and opinion as enshrined in the 4th schedule of the 1999 constitution as amended. 

The question here is how and to which degree will the government control the social media without ceasing from the Nigerian masses the  so much practised right of voicing their good, bad, thoughtful and reckless opinion on the Media by making use of their little citizens Journalism exposure.

To think of it, the social media has become a community where election campaigns are carried out; elections conducted and even result announced unbehalf of INEC and winners emerged. Different brands of fake and malicious news are circulated to the gains of the initiator of such publications. It may also be a means of engaging the workers of Zuckerberg who works without pay on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. I can remember vividly when the Vice President Osinbajo narrated his fair share with the instigators on social media, how his mum called him to question why he did resign as the vice President of Nigeria sequel to the general elections.

Technologically, I guess Nigeria is still far way to acquire the needed infrastructure to regulate and control the use of the social media. China may have done it very well.

To be candid, setting penalties for social media hoaxes will be equal to what the foremost English Scholar John Stuart Mill refers to as "Preemptive Censorship" which he debated on the floor of the British House of Commons in defence of freedom. J.S Milll advocates for the trading of free speech in the market place of ideas as good ideas by it nature will always triumph over bad ideas when put to rest.

Concern of Nigerians are raised when  debate for regulating social media is put at par with our anti-corruption legislations if truly we are fighting corruption and not oppressing human rights. This with no doubt answers for the reason why Nigerians replied to the wife of the President Aisha Buhari that China equally hangs corrupt politicians. This is owing to the fact that the wife of the President should have borrowed same example of China to corruption when she uttered at the conference of the National Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) that China prohibits and punishes hate speech.

As a Nigerian of good conscience, am sure you will join me to condemn hate speech especially that which attacks an individual or a group because of their nationality, background and religion. Fake news which misleads the general public also need to be regected in it entirety. But if am to borrow the words of SERAP, apart from the menace of fake news and hate speech which the social media is reputed for, "Nigerians trust social media to get information on corrupt politicians".

As the government at the centre fears that social media if not regulated will erupt chaos and disintegrate the state, let us also be mindful of the fact that if we did not kill corruption, corruption will kill us. More energy should be channelled towards legislations that enhance speedy adjudication of corruption cases. By then, we can regulate the social media with ease.

Email the author at talk2tijanihassan@gmail.com
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