By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
“It is the citizens, through the media, that should regulate the government, not the other way round.
“Buhari’s government wants to muzzle the media and free speech so that the citizens cannot criticise and oppose his incompetence and nepotism.
“They want the people to be saying only the things they like to hear, not the truth. That is not democracy. We will resist them”
– Ebun Adegboruwa (SAN).
Muhammadu Buhari is yet to deactivate his own twitter handle, five days after he banned it, a rash decision now up against huge backlash from foreign countries and mega churches at home who warn of Nigeria’s slide into autocratic recklessness.
Last Friday, Information Minister Lai Mohammed directed broadcasting stations to deactivate their Twitter handles of millions of subscribers and Attorney General Abubakar Malami warned that Twitter users would be arrested and prosecuted.
Four days later, however, Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama clarified that the ban will be restored when Twitter can ensure “responsible communication” on its platform.
“The condition (for lifting the suspension) would be responsible use of social media and that really has to be it,” he said.
Internet firewall
There had also been report on last Friday that Buhari was holding secret talks with China to build a firewall against the internet in Nigeria, something Beijing has done to officially block Western social media like Facebook and Twitter in that country.
Aso Rock denied the report.
Onyeama gave the latest update on Monday after he held a meeting with the envoys of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union (EU) who had issued a joint statement condemning the crackdown on Twitter.
Asked if Buhari is seeking advice from China on how to erect a firewall against the internet in Nigeria, Onyeama said: “I’m not aware of any meeting with the Chinese authorities in respect of social media.”
Adeboye, Kumuyi ignore ban
Enoch Adeboye and William Kumuyi – each of whom counts millions as church members in countries and continents across the world – have tweeted that they will stand up to Buhari and disregard the ban.
Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) – fired off the first salvo on Twitter on Monday that he would disregard the ban, because the church “is domiciled in more than 170 Nations & Territories.
“The tweets here are in accordance to Article 19 of the UN universal declaration of Human Rights.”
Kumuyi, Pastor of Deeper Life Bible Church, also tweeted: “In view of the Twitter ban in Nigeria, please note that the content shared on this handle is targeted at a global audience in more than 5 continents and over 100 Nations and we share the content from any of these locations.”
Onyeama harps on security
Twitter on June 2 deleted Buhari’s incendiary tweet referring to the Nigerian civil war, and he reacted on June 4 by banning the platform in Nigeria which has 40 Twitter subscribers, some of them using it to generate income.
The statement jointly issued by the envoys of the US, UK, Canada, and the EU prompted Abuja to summon them for a meeting in camera on Monday.
After the meeting, Onyeama told journalists: “When you have the power to communicate, it has to come with responsibilities.
“We are not saying that Twitter is threatening the country or any such thing; why we have taken this measure is to stop them from being used as platforms for destabilisation and facilitation of criminality or encouragement of criminalities.”
He said the decision was taken to maintain national security, because “without security, everything else fails. We will all be losers. What we do today will define the future of the country.”
PREMIUM TIMES reports that Abuja claims the suspension of Twitter is to protect the sovereignty of Nigeria but digital rights advocates argue it is censorship.
Despite public outcry and international condemnations, Malami doubled down on the crackdown and threatened that violators of the ban would be charged to court.
Mohammed directed the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to order television and radio stations to deactivate their Twitter handles and the regulator also to “immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.”
Onyeama insisted that the Buhari administration is committed to protecting lives and properties.
“Nigerian lives matter and we have to do everything we can to preserve Nigerian lives. And when we feel our goals are threatened, actions need to be taken,” he said.
“It’s to see to what extent this media can be a force of good and not for the facilitation of criminalities or the destabilisation of the country. We can disagree, but Nigerians’ lives matter.
“Differences of opinion is not a problem; everybody will not think alike. But we want to use social media for good. There is a lot of good that can come out of communication today. Part of the conversation will be how to use them for global good.”