Twitter, Nigerians Reacts over FG Action
The microblogging site, Twitter has reacted to the Federal Government’s decision to lift the ban on its operation in Nigeria.
“We are pleased that Twitter has been restored for everyone in Nigeria. Our mission in Nigeria and around the world is to serve the public conversation,” Twitter’s Public Policy team said in a tweet on Thursday.
“We are deeply committed to Nigeria, where Twitter is used by people for commerce, cultural engagement, and civic participation,” the tech giant Tweeted.
“President Muhammadu Buhari . . . has approved the lifting of the suspension of Twitter operation in Nigeria effective from 12 am tonight,” the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said in a statement on Wednesday.
The federal government had banned Twitter operations after the microblogging site deleted President Buhari’s comment which provoked an international outcry over freedom of expression.
However, the site became accessible in Nigeria on Thursday after the government lifted the seven-month ban.
“There has been a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real-world violent consequences. All the while, the company has escaped accountability,” presidential aide, Garba Shehu, said in the wake of the suspension.
“Major tech companies must be alive to their responsibilities. They cannot be allowed to continue to facilitate the spread of religious, racist, xenophobic, and false messages capable of inciting whole communities against each other, leading to the loss of many lives. This could tear some countries apart.”
However, upon the announcement of the lifting of the ban, Nigerians have reacted differently. See reactions:
It would be noted that although there was a ban on the operations, some Nigerians we’re not completely out of the platform as many turned to virtual private networks (VPN) apps to access the social media platform.
Meanwhile, a human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has blasted resident, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and members of his regime for returning to the microblogging site, Twitter after suspending the social media platform for over seven months. He described their action to be shameful.
He added that the ban on Twitter was an anti-democratic and unconstitutional act in the first place.
According to him, “The removal of the ban itself is not unexpected, because regardless of the Buhari regime’s posturing over the past seven months, it is in fact Twitter that always had the bargaining position. Nigeria needs Twitter and not the other way around. We have wasted seven months of our time as a nation pursuing an imaginary outcome against a global tech giant with a market cap bigger than Nigeria’s annual federal budget.”
What is your thought as the federal government lifts the ban on Twitter?
