By Paul Effiong, Abuja
House of Representatives has directed the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, to urgently instruct Internet Service Providers, ISPs, in Nigeria to block all websites with pornographic and obscene contents.
The House also urged NCC to immediately begin the enforcement of penalties against any service provider or organisation that refuses to comply with its directive.
This followed a motion moved during yesterday’s plenary by Dalhatu Tafoki.
Presenting his defence for the motion, Tafoki highlighted the urgent global demand over cyber pornography, stressing that government has not taken sufficient drastic measures to tackle the issues involved.
Speaking further in defence of his motion, the lawmaker observed that Nigeria, as a religious country, upholds diffrent virtues and values that oppose nudity, obscenity, as well as pornographic pictures as reflected in its major faiths across the country.
He disclosed that numerous countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East have already implemented laws prohibiting pornography and obscene picture for the purpose of promoting moral values and cultures.
The lawmaker also cited psychologists and sociologists as references, even as he pointed out the harmful effects of viewing pornographic pictures by all, especially among the young and inexperienced youths.
“Experts in psychology and sociology worldwide have raised serious concerns about the psychological, sociological and mental impact of consuming pornographic materials,” he explained.
As a result, the House called on NCC to enforce penalties against any service provider that fails to adhere to the directive.
