Hate speech: SERAP writes President Buhari, demands withdrawal of N5m fine
- SERAP has asked President Buhari to demand the withdrawal of N5 million hate speech fine
- The group said the hate speech fine is against human rights
- Going further, SERAP defines the development as public censorship
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President Buhari has been urged to instruct Lai Mohammed and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to withdraw the fine against hate speech.
This is as reactions continue to trail the imposition of the N5 million fine.
The call was made by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
The group also called on Mohammed who is the minister of information and culture and the NBC to immediately rescind the fine of N5m imposed on Nigeria Info 99.3 FM radio station.
This was disclosed in a statement by the group's deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
SERAP said Mohammed and the NBC should use their entrusted public office and mandates to promote a culture of public debate, access to information, transparency and accountability in government.
Source: UGC
The group also said suppression of the media, and media freedom, can be more destructive to people’s exercise of basic human rights, and to democratic politics.
According to Channels TV, the rights group said self-censorship would undermine media freedom and the right to receive and impart information, public debate.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has been asked by SERAP to order Buhari to publish details of loans that have been obtained by the government since May 29, 2015.
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The body wants Buhari to tell Nigerians the interest rate, the total amount of debts, and details of the projects on which the loans have been spent.
Legit.ng had also reported that Buhari was asked to launch an investigation into the N300 billion funds said to be stolen or mismanaged as documented in the 2017 audited report by the auditor-general of the federation.
The call was contained in a letter by SERAP on Saturday, July 4, and signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
The accountability group urged the president to mandate Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation and the anti-corruption agencies to commence probe into the mission funds.
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Source: Legit.ng
