Senate not considering passage of Social Media Bill, says spokesman

By DEJI ELUMOYE

The Senate on Saturday described as false the report making the rounds that it was considering passing the contentious Social Media Bill.

Rather, it said the passage of the bill was not on the card of the upper legislative chamber as the relevant committee is yet to complete necessary legislative work on it.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru, in a release titled: “On That False Story On Social Media Bill by SaharaReporters”, also noted that:

“The story made up by SaharaReporters that the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is to pass Social Media Bill despite rejection by Nigerians is false and a lie concocted by the medium to ridicule and tarnish the image of the Senate.

“This report is yet another example of irresponsibility taken too far as there has not been any recommendation for passage of the bill by the Senate. By deliberately publishing falsehood, SaharaReporters is not only doing no good to the nation but it is also shooting itself down as its recklessness and incredulity would always speak against it.

“The Senate wishes that Nigerians will be circumspect, shunning gullibility which makes them to lap up those invidious write ups and begin to comment on non-existent issues. If some people have chosen the path of perfidy wanting to bring the nation and its sacred institutions down, Nigerians must be wary and unwilling to be led by those to believing the false fabrication.”

According to him, the Senate conducts its sittings in the open and matters for consideration are well laid out “and therefore, would not require anyone’s investigation to ‘dig’ out what the Senate would do”.

He added that the relevant committee of the Senate has not submitted its report for the bill to be passed at all or surreptitiously as claimed by Sahara Reporters.

“We will not allow unscrupulous writers to denigrate the Senate and ridicule the great work that is on-going. Sahara Reporters must be afraid to see the platform where they peddle their trade of falsehood tampered with, even at that, there should be no need to lie so brazenly,” the Senate spokesman said. (THISDAY)