The Senator representing Bauchi South in the National Assembly, Senator Ali Wakili, yesterday organized a one-day town hall meeting for youth on the danger of using provocative words on social media.
Delivering a lecture titled, “Free speech, social media and democracy in Nigeria” at the meeting organized by the Senator for his constituents at the SINDABA Hotel, Bauchi, a lecturer in the Bayero University Kano (BUK), Mr. Abdulganiyu Rufai Yakubu, cautioned Nigerian facebook users against using vulgar words capable of destabilizing the country.
He urged them to stop causing chaos among the diversed citizens in the posts and comments they make on the social media.
The lecturer, who condemned some words used on facebook against certain Nigerians such as ‘Arne’ [Infidel] for Christians, ‘terrorists’ for muslims, ‘abokis’ for the hausas and ‘products of baby factory’ to refer to the southerners are not only provocative but fan the embers of disunity and hatred among the compatriots.
He said that social media networks were created to accord people all over the world the opportunity to interact, share information and foster friendship among them.
Yakubu lamented that some Nigerians especially the illiterate youths have now turned social media as platforms to rain abuses, insults against fellow citizens and leaders even as others misuse them for spreading rumours.
Also, Senator Ali Wakili had explained that the meeting was organized not only to teach the participants how to make best use of social media but to also bring himself closer to his constituents.
He challenged academics to continue to enlighten the masses on the difference between the roles of the executive and legislators so that they could know where to channel their demands and who to hold liable for their needs.
He stated that the participants of the meeting were drawn from various youth organizations, civil society organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), students unions, religious groups and security agencies in the six local government of Dass, Tafawa Balewa, Bogoro, Toro, Alkaleri, Kirfi, Darazo and Ganjuwa of the senatorial zone.