Hate Speech: Varsity Don Wants Cyber Crime Bill Signed Into Law

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

As a measure to checkmate the growing hate speech and misuse of the social media, a Professor of Mass Communication, University of Port Harcourt, Professor Femi Shaka, has urged the federal government to pass into law the Cyber Crime Bill that was drafted in 2015.

Shaka stated this in his keynote presentation at the three-day National Conference of the Institute of Mass Communication and Information Management of Nigeria (IMIM), with the theme “Communication for National Integration,” which was held during the weekend in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State’s capital.

He kicked against censorships of the social media as it has, to a large extent, profited the human race positively.

However, the university don noted that it is necessary for the government to monitor social media contents in order to avoid its mismanagement, which might cause disorder and national dispute among the ethnic groups in the country.

Shaka said: “National integration and harmony are complex processes in a polarised country like Nigeria with various ethnic interests and values but it is achievable as its involves various stages such as careful negotiation, mediation and systematic dialogue and in each of the stages, the use of social media is pivotal in guaranteeing successful outcomes.

“The social media has enabled the society to build affiliations, share ideas, challenges and lay hold of best practices in every sector. The social media to a large extent profited the human race positively can also have havoc and national disintegration because of ill use.

“I would not say censore, but there should be a body that monitors what is going on there because we are in a period where social media can be used to mobilise every opinion unbeknown to government because it is done quietly in various platforms and before the government will know, a lot of harm would have been committed.

“In order to avoid mismanagement of social media which may cause disorder and national dispute among the ethnic groups in Nigeria government should be serious about punishment for offenders of hate speech at all levels.

“Government should strengthen the Cyber Crime bill, which was drafted in 2015, and pass it into law. The federal government through the Ministry of Information and Culture should create a social media integration plan for this country.”