The Media Rights Agenda, MRA, has emphasised the importance of the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, saying it will promote freedom of expression and other human rights of Nigerians in the digital space.
The organisation which promotes press freedom made this remark in a statement to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill.
In the statement signed the group’s Legal Officer, Ms Morisola Alaba, MRA said the president’s assent was necessary as there were no laws to guide the actions and activities of government and other actors.
Said the group: “President Buhari stated that the bill covers too many technical subjects and fails to address any of them extensively, listing such areas to include surveillance and digital protection, lawful interception of communication, digital protection and retention, among others which, he said, are currently the subjects of various bills pending at National Assembly.
“The purpose of the bill was never to address technical subjects in the area of digital rights and Internet freedom in any detailed or extensive manner, but to propose and affirm a human rights-based approach in dealing with these issues and ensure that future laws and policies as well as administrative actions are consistent with this approach.”
The group argued that the proposed legislation and its principles should be consistent with the government’s policy direction.
It said government agencies should have made sure that the provisions of the bill were in line with the policies of the government.
It said it was aware that government agencies with specialised and technical competence and mandates in the areas covered by the bill were involved in the legislative process and did not raise any objection to its passage.
MRA said further: “Indeed, they signed off on the provisions of the bill, which is why the National Assembly was comfortable to pass the bill speedily.”
