Digital Rights and Freedom Bill: Protect internet users, promote digital technology, Coalition tells Buhari

Ladesope Ladelokun

A call has gone out to President Muhammadu Buhari by a coalition of civil society organizations promoting the objectives of digital rights in Nigeria and Africa to protect internet users against the infringement of their fundamental freedom.

The call came on the back of Buhari’s decision to decline assent to the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill on the grounds that some areas covered by the bill have been covered by various bills pending at the National Assembly, noting that it covered many technical subjects.

In a statement at the weekend, the coalition described the refusal of the President to assent to the bill as a missed opportunity for Nigeria to demonstrate its willingness and commitment to protecting its citizens from abuse and birth a conducive regulatory environment for digital technology to thrive.

The coalition said,” We write to express our disappointment in President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to decline assent to the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, which was meant to protect Nigerian Internet Users against the infringement of fundamental freedoms and guarantee human rights online in Nigeria.”

Commenting on the reasons advanced for refusing to assent to the bill, the coalition added, “We, however, believe that these reasons are not valid enough for the President to decline assent to the bill.

The ‘various bills’ as referred to in the letter are still merely Bills which may or may not become laws. For instance, the Data Protection Bill (HB02) has been pending at the National Assembly for up to eight years.

“Why then would the President miss an opportunity to fill the lacuna for these subject areas when a Bill duly passed by the National Assembly has been presented for Assent? We make this assertion with the knowledge that no law or Bill is perfect.”