Freedom of speech, according to the Nigeria Constitution Section 39 of the constitution which guarantees the right to freedom of expression provides as follows: Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impact ideas and information without interference.
This is enough to show how much importance is placed on the expression of the citizen of the country. The press, journalists, politicians, newscasters and papers, they are all free to share their opinions on whatever topic they seems most interested in. Now the question is, there is freedom of speech, but is your freedom still guaranteed after you speech? Especially when you speak against the wrong people and you have no powerful person to back you up. Sometimes, I feel like the law is created to protect some certain set of people. Well, most of them already are immune to the law because it is already there in the constitution.
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In theory, Nigerians have the right to express their opinions, ideas, and beliefs freely without fear of censorship or persecution. However, it is important to note that there have been instances where this right has been challenged or restricted.
Nigeria has a vibrant and diverse media landscape, with numerous newspapers, television stations, radio stations, and online platforms providing platforms for public discourse. Journalists and media organizations play a crucial role in holding the government accountable and informing the public.
However, it is worth mentioning that there have been cases where journalists and activists have faced harassment, intimidation, and even violence for their outspokenness. Some have been arrested or prosecuted under various laws, such as the Cybercrime Act and the Terrorism Prevention Act, which can be seen as restricting freedom of speech in certain circumstances.
I don’t need to beat around the bush on this topic, many people have gone missing from their right to express the freedom of speech, some are still on the run, the likes of kalu and Sunday to mention a few.
One thing I have come to understand is that, although the citizens may have the freedom to speak whatever they want on any topic which is a good things because the people deserve every right to know what’s going on in their country, but this freedom can have its own consequences and disadvantages. Many people have taken it upon themselves to spread misinformation about things that are going on in the country which in turn leave the citizens in panic mode and misconceptions about their country.
Some people have started war with the words of their mouth because they where left unchecked. As much as I love the right to express myself, there should be boundaries to what is allowed to be aired on the internet. This is what I believe and I’m sure many people will have different opinions about this.
This isn’t just happening in my country Nigeria, but it is also happening in different countries of the world. Thanks for reading.
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