Petition: Gani Adams condemns Senate’s move on proposed bill

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NIGERIA: THE National Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, has given the Senate a knock on its plan to introduce a bill to criminalize writing petition or complaint against a public officer without a sworn affidavit.
Adams said that the bill entitled “An act to prohibit frivolous petitions and other matters connected therewith,” was dangerous to the growth of democracy in the country.
The OPC leader told journalists in his office on Thursday in Lagos that the bill was synonymous with the obnoxious military Decree 4 of 1984.

Adams, who said the move by the Senate was worrisome, explained that with the introduction of the bill, the upper chamber of the National Assembly was plotting a coup against the media to gag it.
He said: “I see this as a coup against the media, which by extension, is a coup against the people.  It is disturbing that the same Senate that got its mandate from the people is now seeking to gag them. I fear that something terrible is really wrong.”
The OPC chieftain stated that could it be a coincidence that in less than six months into President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the Senate is making moves to introduce the bill.

He maintained that it was curious that a bill to gag the media, which according to him, was the life wire of any democracy, is about to find its way into the country at this moment.
“In 1984, during the administration of General Muhhamadu Buhari, Decree 4 was introduced and journalists were jailed for doing their job of writing,” Adams said, adding: “It is curious that a similar bill is being planned by the Senate now that Buhari is a civilian president.”

“The media is the life wire of democracy, and any attempt to gag it spells doom for our nascent democracy,” Adams said.
He maintained that the introduction of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill was expected to bring sanity into the system.

He said that the FOI bill would make public officers to be wary of getting involved in any fraudulent activity, adding that the introduction of the new bill may mean greater opportunities for public officers to embezzle fund, with the hope that no one is watching them.

Adams said that he condemned an attempt to defame public office holders, but maintained that such public officers are free to head to courts to seek redress should any false publication be made against them.
“I am not encouraging people to defame anybody.  Rather, I am appealing to media practitioners in the country to do their job with every sense of responsibility and to see themselves as the pillar on which our democracy rests,” Adams said.
“I also believe that the court is the last hope of the common man.  Therefore, I will advise that instead of seeking to gag the media let anybody who feels defamed by another person approach the court for redress, ”Adams said.
Adams pleaded with President Buhari not to sign the bill into law, maintaining that Nigerians are looking unto his promise to make the nation`s democracy stronger.