Mr Olumide Akpata, NBA National President
Nigerians are urging the Federal Government to reassess the decision to suspend the operation of twitter in Nigeria Twitter, arguing that the decision was hasty as it was damaging to the global image and other interests that caters to the well-being of Nigerian and the country’s social and political development.
One of the first major association to react to the ban is the Nigeria Bar Association, whose President Mr Olumide Akpata has urged the government to immediately reverse the decision, falling of which it would explore the option to sue.
In a tweet, he said; ”The Nigeria Bar Association finds no Constitutional or legal authority to support the peremptory action of the Federal Government to suspend the operation of Twitter in Nigeria, Beyond the dent to our constitutional democracy at a time when Nigerian economy is unarguably struggling, the impact of arbitrary decisions such as this on investor confidence is better imagined.”
He said if the decision was not rescinded, the “NBA would have no choice but to challenge same in the interest of the public and for the sake of democracy.”
in similar vein, the Socio-Economic Rights Accountability Project, SERAP, tweeted that it would be suing the Nigerian authorities over what the group called, ‘their ILLEGAL indefinite suspension of Twitter in Nigeria’.
SERAP said Nigerians had a right to freedom of expression and access to information, including online, and called on the government to immediately rescind the suspension within 48 hours or face legal action.
SERAP said that, “The suspension has the character of collective punishment and is contrary to Nigeria’s international obligations…..Suspending Twitter in Nigeria would deny Nigerians’ access to information, and disrupt the free exchange of ideas and the ability of individuals to connect with one another and associate peacefully on matters of shared concern.
“It would also seriously undermine the ability of Nigerians to promote transparency and accountability in the country, and to participate in their own government. We call on the Nigerian authorities to guarantee the constitutionally and internationally recognized human rights of Nigerians including online. Deletion of President Buhari’s tweets should never be used as a pretext to suppress the civic space and undermine Nigerians’ fundamental human rights.”
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar simply twitted sarcastically that his tweet would not be the last.
Many other Nigerians have asked the government if they knew that millions of Nigerians, particularly unemployed youths make money from twitter through media influencing, carrier and business marketing and promotions, brand exposure, connecting businesses with customer in a two- way communication that boosts and increase sales and microblogging, for examples.
A senior journalist, Mr Tony Ekata, asked, rhetorically, “the government says its decision was made in the interest of the country. Some reactions by Nigerians suggest that it was made in the interest of the government. Is there a difference between the interest of the government, the interest of the country and the interest of the people in the country? Note that all the people in the country are not Nigerians.”
Usman Umar Toungo, who reacted in a WhatsApp group platform, contextualizes the suspension as a defensive measure. He said: “Twitter suspended the handle of former POTUS, Donald Trump. So as this Big Techs too grow more sinister, as idea people, let us give the needed attention to this Big Techs issue. Now, I hear Trump VS Facebook. The war between Politicians and Big Techs, will continue to be fought because if the Big Techs have their way, they will replace Govts and national sovereignty as we know it.
“China have independent networks, France is contemplating Tech Tax, while Australia, Canada and New Zealand want Facebook, Google, WhatsApp for content use on their platforms.”
While others are battling the Big Techs take over, we in Africa have not even foresee the danger these networks pose to Govts, nations, cultures and values.
Someone put it down in arguable economic terms: “Nigeria is owing $36 billion. She recently applied to borrow an additional $6 billion. And you suspend a company worth $50 billiob. It is like a man on fire suspending a water company.”
Another Nigerian, anonymously said: “Twitter doesn’t even have investments in Nigeria.
For me, it’s thoughtlessness of the decision that baffles me.
For one, the old man didn’t put the tweet. He probably doesn’t even know about Twitter.
And they should know or should have found out that you can’t ban the use of Twitter in Nigeria. Like other internet products, avid users will find a way to continue using Twitter.
So why give the old man and the whole country a bad name.”
Enbo Abasi simple asked: Lai Mohammed can not call it an action in the interest of Nigeria because no Nigerian cried to him against Twitter. The action is in the interest of APC and its lords who fear being confronted with facts. It’s in continuation of the anti-media war of the government in the attempt to reduce citizens assess to information and intra persons communication of ideas and information. It is like one of the advice from Beijing so that people will only read, view and live with what government want the public to know. It’s a case of a party that climbed to fame on the wings and wind of the media, social media for that matter getting cold feet about how it could be affected if faced by the same ladder with which it climbed to the top. But it will be better if nothing was done to allow Twitter to remain while the government corrects itself in the face of its swindling fame”
In all there is a huge question whether Nigeria can enforce the suspension. For one, government would have to prevail on Internet Service Providers, ISPs, including telephone networks like Airtel, MTN, Glo and 9Mobile to shut down the access of their subscribers to the Twitter website or App?
Secondly there is a viable alternative open to Nigerians should the government effect its decision. There is what is called Virtual Private Networks, VPN, through which a subscriber can establish a protected network, even through another country, thereby bypassing the local networks. All that the users would have to do is to get free VPN by setting their location to another country for free.
In announcing the suspension of the microblogging and social networking service on Friday, the government said the suspension was indefinitely.
According to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announcing the suspension in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, the persistent use of the platform for activities are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.
He said said the Federal Government has also directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.
Twitter had during the week censored part of President Buhari’s Tweet that referenced the Nigeria Civil War as part of the plan of his administration to deal with those he considered criminals trying to bring down his administration through destruction of government buildings and violence and chaos. Twitter considered part of the statement a violation of its terms of agreement and deleted them.
The part of Buhari’s tweet considered offensive, said;
“Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”
