The sponsor of Social media bill also called the “Internet Falsehood and Manipulation Bill” Senator Mohammed Sani Musa of Niger East senatorial district has adduced reason for proposing the bill at the upper legislative chamber.
The lawmaker, who claimed he had been watching how Nigerians abused the social media even before he became a senator, said that no government would tolerate such excesses.
“While the constitution gives you the freedom of speech and freedom of association, that same constitution asks you to stay within your limit. The Bill is not about prosecuting people; it is about letting the right thing be done,’’ he said.
“I want to be criticised so that I will do better, but the criticism should be constructive. But if you insult me, I will not take it lightly.
“I had nursed the ambition of regulating social media before getting to the Senate. People are accusing us that it is the Federal Government that is sponsoring us to sponsor the Bill. But it is not. This is something I have had in mind for long. I have visited a lot of countries and seen that social media in the countries are regulated.
“The Bill will address a lot of issues. A lot of people misuse the social media. They use it for their own advantage. If you accuse your leaders of not working, point out what they need to do. That is constructive criticism. But when pictures are mismatched against leaders, that becomes dangerous; that is where this Bill comes to play.”
He, however, explained that death penalty would not be approved.