Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has written a petition to Mr. David Kaye, United Nation’s Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression to prevail on the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the Nigerian Senate to withdraw a bill which “aims to undermine constitutionally and internationally recognized media freedom in the country”.
The bill has been passed for second reading in the Senate despite subsisting court case and strong opposition to it.
The petition, which was copied to Mr Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, reads: “The bill by the Senate also stems in part from increasingly irresponsible framing of journalists as ‘enemies’ by political leaders and aims at stifling public debate of issues such as allegations of corruption in the Senate and investigative reporting in the public interest.
“The bill would also restrict the free flow of information and ideas, which is one of the most powerful ways of combating corruption and holding public officials including lawmakers accountable.
“Despite strong opposition from media practitioners to the bill, the Senate of Nigeria is pushing hard to accelerate the passage of this obnoxious bill, which has already passed the second reading.
“SERAP is concerned that if passed into law the bill would contravene Nigeria’s international legal obligations, including under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.”
SERAP therefore requested the Special Rapporteur to: Publicly express concerns about the proposed bill and insist that the Senate of Nigeria should immediately withdraw the bill;
“Urge the Senate President and the leadership of the Senate of Nigeria to allow the right to freedom of expression and media freedom without fear of criminal prosecution, and not to contemplate impermissible restrictions to these constitutionally and internationally recognized freedoms;
“Urge the Senate President and the leadership of the Senate of Nigeria to show commitment to the fundamental right of all to free and unhindered access to information;
“Urge the Senate President and the leadership of the Senate of Nigeria to take steps to end all initiatives to use flawed legislation to restrict media freedom ahead of the 2019 general elections”.