HateSpeechBill: The Bill And Senator Dino Melaye, Nigerians at a cross road

#HateSpeechBill: The Bill And Senator Dino Melaye, Nigerians at a cross road

By David G. Itopa (History)
5/12/2019

The Nigeria political scene, especially since the All Progressives Congress (APC) took over power at the center, can be likened to a set of amateur thespians in high school still trying to discover professionalism in their chosen field. Usually, their performance would be nothing short of ordinary presentations without tact and Witt.

Nigerians were held spellbound with yet another poor performance from the ruling APC as one of their senators, Senator Aliyu Musa sponsored the Infamous SOCIAL MEDIA BILL otherwise known as HATE SPEECH by average Nigerians. In it, Senator Musa proposed death by hanging, yes! Death by hanging for any defaulter.

As usual, Nigerians took to social media to protest and register their displeasure on the draconian bill which seek to technically gag free press and suppress government critics. It is alleged in some quarters that the bill was carefully tailored and designed to suppress agitations, displeasures and any form of grumblings targeted at the proponent of the “third term” agenda and its eventual beneficiary. However, what is unknown is the “third term” agenda itself, but like the old saying goes thus; there is no smoke without fire.

On the floor of the 9th senate, the bill has been subject of debates and has even passed the second (2nd ) reading at the floor of the red chambers with little or no dissenting voice. In all these, One wonders where lies the voice of the Jamma Okuta, the Otunba Of Okun land, the voice of the voiceless and the new found love of the mekunus and the talakawas, the fearless tamer of lions whose voice roars louder than the lion itself, the one whose voice is like a lightening thunderstorm across the north of Limpopo and its heard loud and clear across the globe—the voice of distinguished senator Dino Omo Melaye ??

The proponent of the infamous social media bill which seek to hang defaulters to death when found wanting, needed to get rid of Senator Dino Melaye from the 9th assembly as the Agba Akin of ilorin’s thunderous voice would have sent the bill straight to where it belongs—the dustbin. It was a well planned onslaught knowing fully well that Dino’s reputation and street credibility has endeared him to the hearts of the downtrodden Nigerians. The powers that be unleashed mayhem and civil war-like election to unseat him (Dino) from the senate to achieve their aim.

At this juncture, Dino is clearly out of the picture, whether or not he continues his advocacy on the streets of Abuja is a topic for another day, but one thing is clear; Nigerians are at a cross road. It is now clearly a choice between the “new way of doing things and (or) departure from it into the dark days of the military junta” where freedom of speech and freedom after speech is never guaranteed.

Those who repackaged and sold the “old khaki guy” as a converted democrat now have their tails stuck in between their legs, left to lick their sores, they know first hand and for free that there will be no hiding place when the bill scales through, they themselves would become the victim of the very monster they sold in the village square.

The 9th senate is without men of balls like the colossus erstwhile senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki, the activist cum political icon, Senator Shehu Sani, the no nonsense erstwhile police chief, Senator Hamman, the gallant Senator Kabiru Gaya from Zamfara and perhaps, the most loved Senator of the century, the most daring and fearless Senator Dino Omo Melaye.

Love him or loathe him, Senator Dino Melaye is one man who, in time past, has dealt serious civil blows to every orchestrated executive lawlessness aimed at Nigerians. You may hate him for his personal flamboyant lifestyle, who cares ? After all the man has never being fingered in any corrupt practices even with the presence of “executive and political eagle”.

Dino Melaye as a neighbor of the cabals in asorock would give them sleepless nights for their malpractices and in his home state of kogi, a few kilometers from the fortress of the cabals, would deal a deadly bloody nose to the self acclaimed political son of the “ Old khaki guy”, for running a government alien to all known systems of government in the world where lies and deceit is the hallmark and violence reign supreme. One man (Dino), like a leech, continued to torment and frustrate every effort of the cabals to bring Nigeria to her kneels. It is however, very clear that for the Social Media bill to pass the floor of the senate, a certain “notorious” Senator Dino must leave the red chambers hence the civil war-like elections Kogi State.

It took a combined effort of the judiciary, police, fake police, thugs and INEC to unseat Senator Dino Melaye from the upper chamber of the National Assembly. It was more like a joint task force (JTF) in the war torn north east of Nigeria.

It was a certain writer by the name BISI KRISTIEN who said and I quote “ If Dino have become a threat to APC's existence to the level that it can stoop so low to get him out of Senate; then Dino have become a Political Dinosaur that need all monetary/military/INEC strengths of Nigeria to get rid of because even the mighty dinosaurs can be killed with maximum force”.

Nigerians should gear up for hard times, but like the seafarers of old would say, “ a smooth sea never made a skillful sailor”. International communities, political pundits and of course, Nigerians are waiting to see if a skillful sailor would be made out of these rough times.

David G. Itopa is an economist, public and political analyst and can be reached via davidgodwin101@gmail.com and tweets @iamhistory_