Spread rumours and be jailed - Seriake Dickson

RUMOURS are a big challenge facing the Bayelsa State Government. Governor Henry Seriake Dickson intends to counter rumours by law – spread rumours and be jailed.

In the interim a rumour management committee has been inaugurated. Its billboards are preaching the dangers of rumours and urging the public to seek credible information from the committee.



While some have likened the proposed law to General Muhammadu Buhari’s Decree 4 that jailed two journalists in 1984, the likelihood that the Bayelsa State would clamp people to jail if they monger rumours is a rumour. The State lacks the capacity to keep its 2 million people in check, or enough jails for the hundreds of thousands who peddle rumours daily.

Rumours are the currency for living in communities that only hear about governments; never feel their impacts in meaningful ways, but are always aware that governments have responsibilities, obligations to the people, who elected them. They also know of billions of Naira spent annually, supposedly for the people’s benefit.

“Going forward, we hope to sponsor a legislation that will provide punishment for false dissemination of information and propaganda, either against the reputation of private individuals or about government or its officials.

Of course, we are all aware that the existing laws provide for offences such as criminal defamation of character and so on. But we are going to come up with a legislation to punish ‘dem say, dem say’ people,” the governor said while inaugurating the rumour committee. Nobody can stop rumours.

Governor Dickson, in this move, failed to appreciate the importance of rumours to people who depend on speculations to fill their information needs. They have lived through years of seemingly important government projects evaporating before their eyes.

They have seen governments reply each request for accountability with unbecoming arrogance. Bayelsa State is only 17 years old, but in those years, trillions of Naira has passed through its eight local government areas, with minimal difference to the people’s growing poverty.

What are the subjects of the rumours? They are about government wastes. The people are regretting that having their own State has not improved their lives. The people want to see changes in their lives. They believe basic infrastructure can be addressed. They dread prospects of another flooding without any plans to protect them.

Their worries are opportunities for Governor Dickson to be a great leader of his people. Why would an elected government abbreviate the people’s rights to spreading information? Rumours are people’s ways of expressing themselves.

Without information, not propaganda, people create their own stories. Governor Dickson would succeed more by working for his people. When he does, public conversations will be celebrations of his achievements and not rumours.