World great powers have expressed disappointment over the indefinite suspension of the social media platform, Twitter, by President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
In a joint statement on Saturday, the governments of Canada, the European Union, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America said every Nigerian has the right to freedom of expression and access to information.
According to them, banning systems of expression is not the way forward but through collective dialogue and promotion of peace and unity.
The statement was titled, ‘Joint Statement From The Diplomatic Missions Of Canada, The European Union (Delegation To Nigeria), The Republic Of Ireland, The United Kingdom And The United States Of America’.
It read, “The diplomatic missions of Canada, the European Union (Delegation to Nigeria), the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America convey our disappointment over the Government of Nigeria’s announcement suspending #Twitter and proposing registration requirements for other social media.
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“We strongly support the fundamental human right of free expression and access to information as a pillar of democracy in Nigeria as around the world and these rights apply online as well as offline.
“Banning systems of expression is not the answer. These measures inhibit access to information and commerce at precisely the moment when Nigeria needs to foster inclusive dialogue and expression of opinions, as well as share vital information in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The path to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less, communication to accompany the concerted efforts of Nigeria’s citizens in fulsome dialogue toward unity, peace and prosperity.”
Following the announcement of the suspension of the use of Twitter by the Nigerian Government on Friday, Nigerian telecommunication companies blocked access to Twitter for Nigerians after receiving a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission
As of the early hours on Saturday, checks by BizWatch Nigeria showed that tweets on the social media platform did not load and Nigerians were unable to send tweets.
During the week, a video and post made by Buhari on a controversial civil war was deleted by Twitter which described it as offensive.
This prompted the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to announce the suspension of Twitter on Friday, citing the “persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence”.
Mobile network operators also said they received a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission to block access to Twitter in the country following the suspension by the government.
