By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Federal lawmakers have, for now, withdrawn bills meant to jail protesters, gag journalists and impose fines on them and their media outlets if they publish what Muhammadu Buhari does not want to read, watch, or hear.
Nigerians know that, through his history of dictatorship, if he gets his way, he will – even in a democracy – jail journalists and other citizens, and close down media houses, even if what they write, broadcast, or say is true and in the public interest.
Public outcry against reviving Buhari’s Decree 2 and Decree 4 of 1984 led to Olusegun Odebunmi withdrawing from the House of Representatives his Amendment Bills on the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) Act and the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act.
Emeka Chinedu has also withdrawn from the House his Amendment Bill on the Criminal Code Act that seeks to criminalise public protest.
Buhari is pressing on with his mindset on his game plan, anyway.
Surveillance allocation to NIA
In his supplementary budget approved by the National Assembly (NASS) on July 7, a total N4.87 billion is allocated to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to monitor WhatsApp messages, telephone calls, and text messages, among others.
Premium Times reports that N1.93 billion is for “WhatsApp Intercept Solution” and N2.93 billion for “Thuraya Interception Solution” used for monitoring voice calls or call-related information, SMS, data traffic, among others.
Lawmakers passed a supplementary budget of N982.72 billion for 2021 against N895 billion proposed by Buhari, an increase of about N87 billion.
Up to N123.3 billion is for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure and N895 billion for contribution to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure. Another N45 billion is for foreign aid and loans.
Surveillance allocations to Defence Intelligence, police
Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) gets N16.8 billion for infrastructure, cyber intelligence centre/laboratory, independent lawful intercept platform (voice and advanced data monitoring) and tactical mobile geological platform.
Police have N2.2 billion to spend on other logistics and consumables, N8.5 billion (ballistic helmets, bulletproof vests, and utility vehicles), N22.5 billion (drones, ammunition, discreet intelligence equipment, and other requirements).
The surveillance budget comes amid several attempts by Buhari to limit freedom of expression, which the public sees as a means to gag the media.
It comes a month after he suspended Twitter in Nigeria on June 4.
Lai Mohammed as chief advocate of press gag
Last month also, Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed asked the House of Representatives to include internet broadcasting under the control of the NBC.
He said all online and internet broadcasting entities should be included in Section two (c) of the Amendment Bill – which gives powers to the NBC to “receive, process and consider applications for the establishment, ownership of radio and television stations including ….”
“I want to add that internet broadcasting and all online media should be included in the bill,” Mohammed requested at a public hearing.
Similar proposals are in the Press Council Amendment Bill.
Premium Times says the bills, if passed with Mohammed’s recommendation, online media entities will have to get approval from the NBC before operating.
Many people reject the amendments, describing them as draconian, ill-advised, and an attempt to gag the media on all fronts.
Pushback from the press
Major newspapers on July 12 published the same headlines calling on the NASS to halt the amendments.
The protest was sponsored by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and Newspapers’ Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).
“Information Blackout: This is what the National Assembly wants to achieve with the NPC and NBC (media) amendment bills,” read the front pages of national newspapers like The PUNCH, Vanguard, The Nation, Daily Sun, and The Guardian.
There had been two previous attempts to control the social media space through bills introduced by two senators from Niger State.
Odebunmi withdraws NBC, NPC Amendment Bills for consultation
Odebunmi said he stepped down his NPC and NBC amendment Bills for further consultation after an outcry from Nigerians and media practitioners who interpreted them as surreptitious moves to gag the press and frustrate free speech.
He declared on Channels Television that “personally, I’m suspending the process for more consultation” but not in deference to the NUJ, which he said, cannot gag the activities of the NASS.
“We have suspended the process for more consultation to happen on it. They demanded for a lot of time and I said ‘no problem, we have given you; even if you spend three, four to five weeks.
“So far, more consultations from critical stakeholders, and many people have been submitting their memoranda to the national assembly even within the industry,” Odebunmi said.
“My intention is not to gag the press. And unless all the practitioners can say all is well with the industry, to the best of my knowledge, I know all is not well. And I know the National Assembly has the power to look into the existing Act.”
Chinedu withdraws Criminal Code Amendment Bill to ensure peace
Chinedu told TheNiche that he had no choice than to withdraw the bill, which had already passed First Reading, considering the angst it generated.
Chinedu, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who represents Ahiazu-Ezinihitte Mbaise Federal Constituency of Imo State, caused a national uproar when he introduced the bill seeking to punish those who engage in mob action.
He insisted that the objective of the bill was to stop the incessant killing of innocent people through mob action.
But there was immediate pushback from wary Nigerians who saw it as an attempt to push through a law that will give the government the authority to jail peaceful protesters.
“I have consulted with my constituents and other stakeholders and I have been advised to withdraw the bill and I am going to do that because it has been misconstrued,” Chinedu told TheNiche.
“So, for the sake of peace, I have decided to withdraw the bill on the floor of the House on Tuesday [July 13]. I don’t want this needless controversy to linger.
“The bill was misconstrued, it was misrepresented and misinterpreted to mean a different thing from what its intent is. Therefore, I am going to withdraw it on Tuesday.
“The saga has strengthened me. This is politics and in politics you get all sorts. So, if you are a politician, all manner of allegations are made against you, most times wrongfully. This is one of them but the most important thing is your conscience.
“If your conscience is clear and your motive is pure, you move on. I am happy that my people stand with me. They know the intent of this bill, they are behind me and have told me to be strong and I am strong.
“I am not in any way perturbed. I am still with my people and I have taken their advice and I will go ahead to withdraw the bill on the floor of the House on Tuesday.”