Di Speaker of di Nigeria House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas don withdraw di ‘Counter Subversion Bill’ wey e bin introduce for floor of di house.
Di withdrawal dey come as Nigerians for social media para about di new bill wey di Speaker bin tok say di intention na to “address subversive activities by associations, organisations, militias, cults, bandits, and oda proscribed groups for Nigeria”, but wey pipo bin worry say e go restrict human rights.
“Di Speaker of the House of Representatives, don decide to withdraw di Counter Subversion Bill and other related draft legislation,” one statement by di tok-tok pesin for di speaker, Musa Krishi tok on Wednesday.
“Speaker Abbas Tajudeen na champion of di pipo interests, and e dey always prioritize listening to di citizens and fostering unity. Im decision show say e dey committed to make sure say di House remain di pipo House true true.”
Wetin dis bill bin tok?
Some of di provisions for di bill wey cause plenti tok tok among Nigerians especially on di social media platform X include:
- Pesin wey destroy national symbol, or refuse to recite di national anthem and pledge, or abuse a place of worship, don commit offence and di punishment na five million naira fine or 10 years for prison, or both.
- Section 18 of di bill tok say na crime to castigate or embarrass or bring into disrepute di leadership of a community, religion, local goment, State or Federal goment, and if court find pesin guilty, e fit pay four million naira as fine or go prison for two years or do di two.
- Pesin wey engage for conduct wey show loyalty or pledge allegiance to anoda country or denounce im loyalty to Nigeria, don commit offence and e fit pay five million naira fine or go jail for 10 years.
- Pesin wey dey loyal to organisation wey dey disregard di sovereignty of Nigeria, or pesin wey agree to join such organisation, don commit crime and e fit get fine of three million naira or four years for prison.
- Pesin wey persistently disregard or disobey or disrespect constituted authority, or contravene di law wilfully, fit go prison for three years, and if e do am again, e go chop seven years for prison or pay 5 million naira fine, or both.
- Pesin wey make statement or do anything to encourage anoda pesin or group to do something wey fit lead to struggle to separate from Nigeria or cause katakata, don commit crime. Punishment na 10 million fine or 25 years for jail, or di two
Di law also criminalise oda tins, for example interacting wit cult and criminal gangs or proscribed organisations for Nigeria or abroad, doing illegal road traffic function, creating illegal road blocks, imposing illegal curfew, conducting illegal processions, mounting illegal checkpoints, etc.
Reactions to dis bill
‘National Anthem’ na one of di top trends for X Nigeria on Wednesday as pipo dey criticise dis bill.
Video of one popular activist and social media influencer, Aisha Yesufu, bin go viral some months ago wen she refuse to sing di old national anthem wey Presido Bola Tinubu bin bring bak.
Yesufu bin don tok say she no go eva sing dat anthem, and she post say she go rather go jail for 20 years dan sing “Tinubu’s anthem”.
“House of Representatives think they can force patriotism? Jokers!” she write for her post on X.
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Similarly, human rights and constitutional lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, for a chat wit BBC Pidgin tori pesin, bin describe di new bill as “insane”.
E further post for im X handle say: “We must fight and reject dis bill kpatakpata. If dis ungodly bill dey passed, we go officially say bye-bye to di right to dissent for Nigeria.”
Some Nigerians bin say di bill na sake of di recent protest wey happen across Nigeria from August 1-10 sake of hunger and kardship in di kontri.
E also fit be a move to stop di ongoing struggle for di south east region to break away from Nigeria and get dia own kontri – Biafra.
Nnamdi Kanu, di leader of di Indigenous Pipo of Biafra (Ipob) wey carry dis struggle for head, still dey for detention for di Department of State Services (DSS).
Speaker Abbas initial reaction
Di office of di Speaker of di House of Representatives bin first release one statement wia e tok say oga Tajudeen Abbas no target anybodi or any group as e introduce di bill, but e do am sake of di good of Nigeria.
Di statement bin explain say no be sake of di August protest make oga Abbas introduce di bill as e move di bill since on July 23, 2024.
“Di bill follow for di realm of Nigeria anti-terrorism framework, and … similar legislation also dey for oda kontris like di United Kingdom, Spain, India, Turkey, Canada, Australia, among odas,” di statement tok.
“Di bill as e be now, neva even reach di second reading, and for dis stage, Members fit decide to ‘kill’ or allow di bill to pass. But if e pass di Second Reading, dem go take am to di relevant Committee of di House for further legislative action”.
However, di statement bin no satisfy Nigerians wey continue to trend di issue on social media and las las di Speaker bin dey forced to withdraw di bill.
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