… Says Government Will Not Tamper With Nigerians’ Rights To Free Speech
President Muhammadu Buhari has restated his administration’s resolve to protect freedom of speech as a core ingredient of a vibrant democracy .
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu echoed the president’s stand on the issue in reaction to public outcry against the social media bill being debated by the Senate.
Shehu said the president has sworn to defend the constitution of Nigeria and would not lend his hand to anything that is inconsistent with the constitution.
However, Shehu noted that the president is not averse to lawful regulation, so long as that is done within the ambit of the constitution, which he swore to uphold.
“Free speech is central to democratic societies anywhere in the world,” Buhari said through Shehu.
“Without free speech, elected representatives will not be able to gauge public feelings and moods about governance issues.”The president acknowledged that people in democratic societies “are so emotionally attached to free speech that they would defend it with all their might.
Shehu explained that the president is fully aware of the public reservations about the proposed legislation but assured that there is no cause for alarm “because the Senate is a democratic senate.
“The President won’t assent to any legislation that may be inconsistent with the constitution of Nigeria,” Shehu assured.
