Former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba has lent his voice against the hate speech bill which is before the Nigerian Senate.
According to Osoba, the bill is aimed at silencing the press in a democracy.
The former governor disclosed this on Monday while speaking in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during an event commemorating 160 years of journalism in Nigeria,
Speaking on the theme, “Re-inventing the practice of Journalism in Nigeria with emphasis on the influence of the Social Media”, Osoba said: “We (media practitioners) don’t deserve this treatment from Senators who are now enjoying the benefit of the war that we waged against the military to entrench democracy in Nigeria,” Osoba expressed.
“We will all be the victims of the bill if we allow it to scale through. We (media practitioners) fought the military to a standstill. You will recall many of our people lost their lives, those who are propagating a bill should remember.
Where were they when NADECO, the Media stood up to fight Abacha? Were they born? Were their forefathers fought in those days when Herbert Macaulay and co, were fighting for the liberation of the colonial system to independence and then we took it up under the military?
“We all suffered under Abacha. The Guardian was burnt. Punch was closed down. Those who were running TELL Magazine had to run out of the country into exile. I can go on with the examples of the deprivation we suffered.”
