Senate not desperate to pass social media bill – Spokesperson

The Senate on Saturday assured Nigerians that it was not desperate to pass the controversial social media bill.

The upper chamber said the committee handling the bill has not submitted its recommendations for the consideration of the whole house at plenary.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Ajibola Basiru, gave the assurance in a statement in Abuja.

He was reacting to an online publication which reported that the Senate was desperate to pass the bill, despite its rejection by Nigerians.

He described the report as false and a lie concocted by the medium to ridicule and tarnish the image of the Senate.

Basiru said, “This report is yet another example of irresponsibility taken too far as there has not been any recommendation for passage of the bill by the Senate.

“It should be a common knowledge by all that the Senate conducts its sittings in the open and matters for consideration are well-laid out and, therefore, would not require anyone’s investigation to ‘dig’ out what the Senate would do.

“The relevant committee of the Senate has not submitted its report for the bill to be passed at all or surreptitiously as claimed.

“We will not allow unscrupulous writers to denigrate the Senate and ridicule the great work that is on-going.”