Pascal Oparada
For the whole of Tuesday, social media users in Nigeria have consistently spoken out against the Social Media Bill, purportedly on the floor of the National Assembly.
After the #EndSARS protest which brought the country to a standstill for two weeks, government officials, including the Minister of information, Lai Mohammed, have called for the regulation of social media.
#EndSARS campaign was started on social media in 2017 by Segun Awosanya also known as segalink to draw attention to atrocities of the operatives of the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
A lawmaker in Lagos, Desmond Elliot was under fire for allegedly calling for caution in the use of social media while addressing fellow lawmakers on the floor of the State House of Assembly.
Under #KillSocialMediaBill and #NoToSocialMediaBill, Nigerians have voiced strong opposition to the Bill, saying it goes against freedom of speech and is a call made only by dictatorial governments.
“Good Morning Fellow Nigerians,
I just want to use this medium to tell you all that if they succeed in regulating social media they have succeeded in silencing us, our hope for justice and accountability is shattered. Whatever it takes we must #KillSocialMediaBill,” said Oluyemi Fasipe on Twitter.
Another Twitter user, @_igwilo said Nigerians protested against police brutality and the government replied with police brutality and that the social media bill is meant to silence people permanently.
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“We protested against police brutality, they replied with more police brutality. now they want our voices cut, they want to pass a ban on social media. LOL
they want us silenced. My brothers and sisters didn’t die on the streets for all this animal talk. #KillSocialMediaBill,” he tweeted.
The Northern Governors Forum, on Tuesday, endorsed the regulation of social media in Nigeria an action which has drawn blacks from Nigerians and activists.
