Hate speech fine now alternative to oil revenue – Shehu Sani

Senator Shehu Sani

Senator Shehu Sani has made a joke of the reviewed hate speech fine as an alternative to oil revenue.

Reacting on Wednesday to the upgrade of the fine from N500,000 to N5 million, Sani wrote on Twitter: “With N5 million as fine for hate speech, we have discovered an alternative to oil revenue.”

Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed had announced the increase in the hate speech fine at the unveiling ceremony of the reviewed Nigeria Broadcasting Code containing the Antitrust Provision organised by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in Lagos on Tuesday.

He said the amendments were necessitated by a presidential directive in the wake of the 2019 general elections for an inquiry into the regulatory role of the NBC with a view to repositioning the regulator for optimum performance.

The increase in the hate speech fine has been received with disapproval from the public.