Paradigm Initiative has expressed serious
concern over alleged Federal Government’s secret attempts to block the domain
names of several identified websites accused of threatening national security
in Nigeria. These attempts are an unacceptable violation of constitutionally
and globally guaranteed rights of expression and information.
According to a report published in the Nigerian Tribune,
the Federal Government is alleged to be currently carrying out this operation
through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), ostensibly hiding behind
Section 146 of the NCC Act 2003. The section, which provides generally on the
duties of a network licensee to assist the Commission in preserving national
security and preventing the commission of a crime, must not be used by the
Federal Government to intimidate online news providers and infringe on their
rights.
As said by Paradigm
Initiative’s Program Manager Magoyi (ICT Policy), Adeboye Adegoke, “Section 39
of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria expressly provides that
every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including the freedom
to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without
interference. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
provides similarly that everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression.
This right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and
ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in
print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice”
While commenting on the
development, Paradigm Initiative’s Director of Programs, Tope Ogundipe says that
“whatever process is underway by the influence of the NCC and the NSA would
result in a violation of the Constitution and should, therefore, be halted. The
Federal Government should desist from covert acts as such and should instead
release a list of such sites purportedly threatening national security and
follow the due course of the law in handling this matter transparently.”
Mrs Ogundipe further states that
in an already declining society which pays minimal regard to the freedom of
expression and press freedom, a dangerous precedent would be set if the NCC
goes ahead with this plan to restrict access to certain websites in the
Nigerian Cyberspace.
While speaking further on the
development, Program Manager, Magoyi (ICT Policy), Adeboye Adegoke said that,
“The right to receive information and the right to give information is
expressly codified in legal instruments recognized in Nigeria and so it would
be sheer defiance by the NCC to attempt to make a derogation in such a manner.”
Paradigm Initiative has noted the
denial of this censorship plan by the Minister of Communications, Alhaji
Adebayo Shittu, stating that he was not aware of any plan by the Nigerian
Communication Commission (NCC) to gag online newspapers. The Honourable
Minister should go a step further to investigate this claim and make a
commitment to press freedom and unhindered internet freedom. On its part,
Paradigm Initiative will continue to monitor the development and will deploy
every legitimate advocacy tools to get to the root of it in ensuring that
fundamentally guaranteed rights of citizens are safeguarded.
Ogo Nebenanya/GEE
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