More reactions trail bans on Twitter, VPN in Nigeria

*IPI, others seek reversal of action

*Decision not a response to removal of Buhari’s tweet, says Presidency

*Nigeria’s economy declines by over N2bn in one day-Report

Motolani Oseni And Sharon Isaalah, Lagos

Reactions have continued to trail the indefinite ban of Twitter in Nigeria, in response to the micro-blogging facility’s deleting of a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari which the social media platform deemed as inciting violence.

The Federal Government on Friday suspended Twitter’s operation in Nigeria indefinitely, explaining that it would have none of the medium’s alleged actions to undermine the “corporate existence” of Nigeria by meddling in the country’s internal affairs.

Commenting on this development, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome, therefore, called on the Federal government to go beyond the suspension of Twitter and dissolve Nigeria.

Ozekhome who said this in a statement maintained that the Federal Government is allergic to listening to Nigerians.

“Well, I am not surprised that the Federal Government has suspended Twitter operations in Nigeria. Are you? I have always said that this Government has a very thin skin for criticism.

It is a government that cannot take punches, but delights in always giving punches to adversaries, real or imaginary.

“The Government knows that Nigerians now express their resentment and protest through Twitter, by telling the whole world how Nigeria has been turned into a corruption haven and a sprawling field of butchery, extra-judicial executions and slaughtering.

“Those in Government do not want the world to hear about their atrocities.

So, they just gleefully tell the world that they have suspended Twitter and that they would soon license other OTT and social media operations.

These people in Government know that Nigerians have been reaching out to the whole world, and they are very embarrassed that the breeze has been blowing, and the smelly backside of the fowl is always being opened for the whole world to see and smell its odorous side.

“This is the same government that undeservedly rode to power using the same Twitter and other social media platforms it now detests.

“My humble appeal to this Government is that it should go further than this. It should actually suspend or dissolve the Nigerian people which it has become so allergic to and no longer wants to see or hear about.

Then, it can now go ahead to elect or select another people in place of the present Nigerians who appear to have become a nuisance to it.

“I am greatly disappointed about this government round and round. I feel very sad as a Nigerian being led by a Government of one scandal per day,” he said.

Similarly, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, in his response to the Suspension of Twitter’s Operations in Nigeria by the Federal Government said, “It has become imperative for me to release a statement regarding the suspension of Twitter’s operations in Nigeria by the Federal Government.”

According to him, 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 the 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”, he appealed.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, directed the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation to start the immediate prosecution of those who violate its order suspending Twitter operations in Nigeria.

Malami’s spokesman, Umar Gwandu revealed this in a statement which said: “Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has directed the immediate prosecution of offenders of the Federal Government ban on Twitter operations in Nigeria.

“Malami directed the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation at the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, to swing into action and commence in earnest the process of prosecution of violators of the Federal Government De-activation of operations of Twitter in Nigeria.

“Malami directed the DPPF to liaise with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, National Communication Communication and other relevant government agencies to ensure the speedy prosecution of offenders without any further delay.”

But while responding to the reactions of Nigerians following the ban, Senior Special Assistant on (Media & Publicity) to the president, Garba Shehu said the Federal Government did not suspend Twitter because it removed Buhari’s post.

According to him the “temporary suspension” of Twitter was ordered because it had escaped accountability misinformation and fake news.

Shehu said this in a statement that read: “The temporary suspension of Twitter is not just a response to the removal of the President’s post.

There has been a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real-world violent consequences. All the while, the company has escaped accountability.

“Nevertheless, the removal of President Buhari’s tweet was disappointing. The censoring seemed based on a misunderstanding of the challenges Nigeria faces today.

“The President in his address at the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA in 2019 said ‘the world was shocked and startled by the massacre in New Zealand by a lone gunman taking the lives of 50 worshippers.’

“This and similar crimes that have been fueled by social media networks risk seeping into the fabric of an emerging digital culture.

“Major tech companies must be alive to their responsibilities.

They cannot be allowed to continue to facilitate the spread of religious, racist, xenophobic and false messages capable of inciting whole communities against each other, leading to the loss of many lives. This could tear some countries apart.

“President Buhari has therefore been warning against social media’s disruptive and divisive influences and the government’s action is not a knee-jerk reaction to Twitter’s preposterous deletion of his tweet which should have been read in full.

“The tweet was not a threat, but a statement of fact.
“A terrorist organisation (IPOB) poses a significant threat to the safety and security of Nigerian citizens.

“When the President said that they will be treated “in a language they understand,” he merely reiterated that their force shall be met with force. It is a basic principle of security services response the world over.

“This is not a promotion of hate, but a pledge to uphold citizens’ right to freedom from harm. The government cannot be expected to capitulate to terrorists.

“IPOB is proscribed under Nigerian law. Its members murder innocent Nigerians. They kill policemen and set government property on fire. Now, they have amassed a substantial stockpile of weapons and bombs across the country.

“Twitter does not seem to appreciate the national trauma of our country’s civil war. This government shall not allow a recurrence of that tragedy.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian economy may have declined by over N2 billion in just one day of the Twitter ban.

This is if the statistics of Netblocks.org, a mapping internet freedom platform is anything to rely upon.

The platform automatically aggregates the cost of shutdown tools and estimates the economic impacts of internet disruption, mobile data blackouts or app restrictions using indicators from the world bank, ITU, Eurostat and US census as the case maybe.

In the case of Nigeria shutting down Twitter, the platform says the country’s economy would be drawn back by N2, 177,089,051 in just one day that it has lasted.

The platform said it relied on booking institution methods which relied on development indicators, approximated digital economy extent of 0.05 and classic free app GDP impact technique to arrive at its conclusion.

Being an artificial intelligence, the AI-based study, Netblocks statistics are almost perfect at all times.

The report tallies with reports of several businesses which rely on Twitter to promote their services.