The federal government has threatened to ban not only Twitter but other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and others that
The federal government has threatened to ban not only Twitter but other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and others that may disrupt Nigeria’s unity.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, said this when he appeared before the Joint Committee on Information, Justice, and Communication of the House of Representatives on Tuesday in Abuja.
He claimed that anyone who wishes to destabilize and promote divisiveness in Nigeria can use Twitter’s platform.
“We want Twitter to be registered first in the country before they can operate,” he said.
Speaking on if any channel of dialogue had been opened with Twitter, Mohammed said, “We tried to but they rebuffed us. They are not known to us. They are not registered, but we hope we will be able to engage them.”
He lamented that the organization had no investment in Nigeria, but in Ghana, while the target market was Nigeria.
The minister also denied the widely held opinion that the move was intended to stifle free speech and press freedom.
“There was no intention of the federal government to stifle free speech in the country. The only reason we suspended Twitter is that it was promoting disunity. Its activities are inimical to the unity of the country,” Mohammed insisted.
He added that if other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Google Hangout, and others are found to be encouraging posts or utterances that could destabilize the country, the government will not hesitate to suspend them.
Recall that the Minister had announced the ban on Twitter on June 4, 2021, stating that the platform posed a threat to Nigeria’s corporate existence.
