Nigeria Minister really tok say goment go suspend Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram?

Nigeria Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed don react to di tori wey dey fly up and down say federal goment wan suspend di operations of Facebook, WhatsApp plus oda social media platforms for di kontri.

Di minister wen im appear before di House of Representatives Joint Committee on di Suspension of Twitter in Nigeria warn say dem go suspend di operations of any social media platform wey do wetin Twitter do.

E explain say wetin Twitter do na to become di platform of choice for pipo wey wan bring down di kontri, say if any oda social media platform try that kain thing, dem no go think twice before dem suspend di platform.

Nigeria goment on June 4 through di Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed suspend Twitter operations for di kontri, wit reason say di platform dey undermine di kontri corporate existence.

E add join say Twitter also gree make di proscribed Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) use am to dey promote seditious and terrorist activities.

Di House of Representatives say dem wan touch light di process wey lead to di suspension of Twitter for Nigeria, sake of that, dem invite di minister of information to come explain di reason goment take dat kain action.

Wetin Lai Mohammed tok for di floor of di House during im presentation

Di minister of information for im presentation for di floor of di House of Representatives say di action of di Federal goment dey backed by di Nigerian constitution, National Security Acts, CAMA and di Cyber Space Act.

Im quote section 45 (1) of di 1999 constitution wey tok say Public Interest pass individual interest. E also quote section 3 of di National Security Acts wey support goment action and di Company Allied Matters Act 2020 wey no support di operation of Twitter for Nigeria as e no dey registered or get licence to operate for di kontri.

On di argument say goment use di suspension of Twitter to suppress freedom of expression and di press, oga Lai tok say no be true as goment do wetin e suppose do to protect di kontri.

E remind di lawmakers say Twitter allegedly get hand for di #EndSars protest kasala wey happun for October 2020 wey hoodlums later hijack to cause havoc for di kontri.

Nigerians bin protest wit di hashtag as dem call for end to police brutality and bad governance.

Im say di protest lead to di loss of lives of plenty security agents and destruction of properties wey worth billions of naira.

Di minister also allege say di owner of Twitter Jack Dorsey also fuel di protest wit im financial support and e use im platform to promote fake news.

Plus Nigeria no owe Twitter any responsibility, instead na Twitter dey benefit from di kontri yet e carry di company go Ghana.

For Nigerians wey dey do business on Twitter, e say make dem use oda social media platforms as individual interest go take back sit in di face of national security.

Di minister of Information add join say im don set up committee wey go meet wit Twitter on di way forward but all online media and social media must register, collect license before dem go operate for di kontri.

For when Twitter go resume operations back for di kontri, e say na di committee discussion wit Twitter go determine dat one.

ECOWAS court ruling on Twitter suspension

Meanwhile ECOWAS court wey sidon for Abuja don stop Nigeria goment from imposing sanctions, arresting, or prosecuting anyone wey use twitter for di kontri.

Di order follow one legal action by some civil society groups wey say di twitter ban na attempt to stifle free speech.

Di Ecowas Community Court of Justice issue di order during preliminary hearing of di lawsuit wey dey challenge di June 4 ban on di microblogging site.

Di court rule say access to twitter provide di platform for di exercise of freedom of speech - therefore any interference na violation of human rights.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and over 170 oda Nigerians bin approach di regional court to declare say di indefinite suspension of Twitter for Nigeria na violation of dia human rights under di international law.