Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama, has stated that the microblogging platform, Twitter, is being utilised to destabilise Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria.
During an official meeting between the United States and Nigerian Diplomatic Representatives, he said this yesterday to discuss a way out of the ban of Twitter in Nigeria.
Giving reasons why the Nigerian Government resorted to suspending the blogging platform, Onyeama noted that the country is attempting to reposition all the social media networks into propagating good and not disunity.
It was surprising that Twitter Management hasn’t officially communicated its position since the ban by Nigeria, unless for the reason as mentioned earlier being that President Muhamadu Buhari’s tweet referred to the nation’s civil war in 1967 1970, which lasted for 30 months.
In the tweet, Buhari warned persons hoping that the Government would fail while urging them to desist from inciting trouble.
Another angle is that the microblogging channel once messaged how deeply concerned it was following the decision by the Nigerian Government to ban the operation of Twitter’s services, adding it would make endeavours to restore admittance of the Nigerian enthusiasts.
Responding at the meeting, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard, harped on the importance of granting access to people for self-expression.
The US diplomats established their firm position on the need for people to freely express opinions within the ambits of the law and later commend the West Nation for agreeing to hold talks on resolving the issue.
Meanwhile, It would be recalled that the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, through its Director, Armstrong Idachaba, declared that all Television and Radio Stations should immediately suspend patronising Twitter.
Following this development, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has reiterated that Nigerians who accessed Twitter after the ban would face prosecution.
He mentioned Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, and his counterpart in the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi, to face prosecution for defying Government’s instruction.
During an earlier interview on the programme BBC Africa Focus last night, he said the prosecution would be the decision of the Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, who wields power.