• Friday, March 29, 2024
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BusinessDay

Ban on Twitter: We stand by our words, Diplomatic Community tells FG

President Buhari

Ambassadors from the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada and Republic of Ireland have told the Federal Government that they stand by their condemnation of the indefinite suspension of the micro-blogging platform Twitter by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Ambassadors made this known on Monday in the conference room of the Minister Foreign Affairs when they heeded the summon of the Minister, insisting that the ban on Twitter by the Nigerian government violates freedom of expression of Nigerians irrespective of the government’s concerns that the platform was being used to perpetrate hate speech and criminality.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama, summoned them to explain the reason behind such allegedly brazen criticism of the Nigerian Government policy, following a joint statement they issued on Saturday condemning the ban on, twitter.

US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, speaking on behalf of the five envoys of the countries and their representatives, after a closed door meeting with Onyeama, told the Foreign Minister that access to social media by citizens is germane to freedom of speech which in turn is a prerequisite for democratic culture.

“We recognize the official position of Nigerian government on the responsible use of social media but we remain firm in our position that free access to information is very important and perhaps more important during troubled times.”

She further affirmed that it is actually in troubled times that there is the need for individual expression and open conversation and accountability.

“We are here as partners and we want to see Nigeria succeed. It’s very clear that we are Nigeria’s strongest partners on issues of security and we recognize the daunting times in the way of the security challenges that confront Nigeria. While they are daunting, they are not insurmountable and part of the way to surmount them is the partnership of the people you see represented here,” she said

The U.S Ambassador expressed optimism on the Federal government reaching a common ground as the Nigerian Government is locked in discussions with Twitter Inc.

Onyeama who confirmed that the Nigerian government was in dialogue with Twitter added that conditions may be given before the ban will be lifted.

The Minister had earlier told the envoys that the Nigerian government is not against the use of social media but wanted to see it used for global good and responsible communications.

His words: “We know the power of words and when you have that kind of power to manage and facilitate communication to billion of people; it has to come with responsibility. So, we are taking this measure to see to what extent we can rebalance this media as forces of good and stop them being used as a platform for destabilization and facilitation of criminality.”

The five envoys in a joint statement issued on Saturday said, “the diplomatic missions of Canada, the European Union (Delegation to Nigeria), the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America convey our disappointment over the Government of Nigeria’s announcement suspending #Twitter and proposing registration requirements for other social media.

“We strongly support the fundamental human right of free expression and access to information as a pillar of democracy in Nigeria as around the world and these rights apply online as well as offline. Banning systems of expression is not the answer.

“These measures inhibit access to information and commerce at precisely the moment when Nigeria needs to foster inclusive dialogue and expression of opinions, as well as share vital information in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic”.