The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has remarked on the Federal Government’s ban of Twitter, noting that the move could affect “investor confidence”.
He stated this in a statement shared on Twitter and on his website, where he urged the Federal Government not to effect policies based on “emotional reactions”.
Days after the microblogging platform Twitter took down a sensitive post by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, issued a statement regarding the government’s decision to ban the operations of the social media platform in the country.
The ban went into effect at midnight 5 June 2021, as many Nigerians said that they were unable to access their feeds on Twitter.
Makinde, in his statement, added that the action of the Federal Government deprived Nigerians the right to “express and publish an opinion”.
The governor also noted that Twitter had become an avenue through which many Nigerians promote their business services and that the move would affect their source of livelihood.
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Makinde’s Statement On Twitter Ban
He said, “It has become imperative for me to release a statement regarding the suspension of Twitter’s operations in Nigeria by the Federal Government.
“As leaders, we should go beyond emotional reactions to issues and think about how our actions will affect the people we lead and our international ratings socially and economically.
“Twitter has become the platform for young people and indeed all Nigerians to exercise their fundamental right to express and publish an opinion. They use the platform to complain, argue and give feedback to government and its agencies who in turn, use these to improve policies. This is a fundamental point that should be kept in mind as we debate the necessity of this suspension.
“We should also remember that Twitter has gone beyond a source of communication for many of our hardworking youths in Nigeria. It has become a source of livelihood for many, irrespective of their political affiliations or religious leanings. Nigerian youths and digital communications organisations earn a living from being able to use the platform to post communications on behalf of their clients.
“Others who may not have physical stores also rely on Twitter to give visibility to their products and services.
“Furthermore, I believe the Federal Government should be actively interested in how certain policies and action will affect investor confidence. I, therefore, use this medium to appeal to the Federal Government to reverse this suspension for the greater good of Nigerians.”
