Bukola Saraki Reiterates Commitment to Open NASS …….Says that Anti-Social Media Bill is ‘Dead on Arrival’ …..Announces that CSOs will be part of 2017 Budget
Adetokunbo Fakeye
Nigeria Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Friday delivered the keynote address at the State Craft Masterclass series at Social Media Week, Lagos (#SMWLagos).
Speaking at the event, Saraki, according to his SA on Social Media, Bamikole Omoshore, emphasised the growing influence of social media users in Nigeria’s political environment, and encouraged the audience to continue contributing to the development of Nigeria through their dialogue and debate on social media.
“Without the involvement of social media, there is no way that we would have moved”, he said.
Saraki while commending the online community, called them the real ‘Chairmen of INEC,’ saying that their crowd sourced election results from polling stations during the general elections, ensured that the manipulation of vote counts was kept to the barest minimum.
“Though we had the numbers,” Saraki said, “It is really thanks to social media that votes counted because you shared the results as they happened.”
He also announced that the controversial aspects of the ‘Frivolous Petition Bill,’ which is the section 4 of the Anti-frivolous petition Bill now popularly known as ‘Anti-Social Media Bill’ would not see the light of day at the Senate.
Saraki assured the audience at #SMWLagos that in the next few weeks, the calls for an Open National Assembly (#OpenNASS) would be actualised, and Nigerians would get to see the line-item allocations of the National Assembly.
The Senate President called for continued cooperation and conversation between the government and the public via social media, and mentioned that following the recent National Assembly Interactive Session with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) called #NASSEngages, starting in 2017, CSOs would be a part of the budget hearing process.
Saraki who is the 1st public official in office to personally attend social media week which is in its 4th year assured participant that his presence at the event shows how serious National Assembly takes social media.