Nigerian Senate holds public hearing on social media bill today

The Senate will today (Monday) conduct  the much expected public hearing on the anti-social media bill sponsored by Senator Musa Sani from Niger State.

The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, on Tuesday,  November 20 last year for further legislative input.

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, told the panel chaired by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, to conduct the public hearing and submit its report within four weeks.

The four-week deadline ended since December 20, 2019.

Opeyemi, however, told Punch correspondent in an interview last month that his committee’s preparations towards the public hearing on the sexual harassment bill, delayed further works on the social media bill.

He, however, assured anxious Nigerians willing to make contributions towards the controversial social media bill that the opportunity would come as soon as the public hearing on the sexual harassment bill was over.

A copy of the letters of invitations sent out to stakeholders, sighted by Punch correspondent on Sunday indicated that the public hearing will hold at one of the Senate halls by 10am.

The President of the Senate,  Ahmad Lawan, according to the invitation,  will declare the event open while critical stakeholders including the media have been invited to express their views.

Opeyemi told Punch correspondent that the views and opinions that would be expressed at the occasion by the stakeholders would form the basis for his committee’s report.

– Punch