It also rolled out conditions that Twitter must fulfill
before the suspension of its operations in Nigeria could be lifted.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
while briefing State House correspondents after a Federal Executive Council
meeting in Abuja, also said Twitter had reached out to the federal government
for talks on resolving the issues that led to the suspension of its operations
in Nigeria.
However, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
doubled down on mobilising pressure on the federal government to reverse the
suspension with a plea to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Saudi
Arabia and others to impose a visa ban on President Muhammadu Buhari and
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar
Malami, and other cabinet members involved in stifling free speech in Nigeria.
A day after Mohammed announced the suspension, Malami, in a
statement last Saturday had directed the prosecution of those still tweeting
after the suspension.
Also, the Minority Caucuses of the two chambers of the
National Assembly rallied defiance of the federal government’s directive
stopping Nigerians from tweeting.
Also, the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) has urged Nigeria to immediately reverse the suspension of Twitter,
saying it is tantamount to opposing free speech.
Mohammed said Twitter yesterday morning reached out to the
federal government, calling for a high-level discussion to resolve its
operation suspension issue.
He said: “Yes, it is true they’ve made, reached…only this
morning I got, you know, communication that yes, they are now ready to hold
senior-level discussions with us. Just now, I just confirmed with my colleague
now. Yes, we just got the information now.“
Asked whether the government will hold the discussion with
Twitter, Mohammed replied: “Why not? We will. But our conditions are already
laid out to you. One, to do business in Nigeria, they must register as a
Nigerian company. Two, they must be licensed and three, they will have to
refrain from using the platform for activities that are inimical to the growth
of Nigeria, to the corporate existence of Nigeria.
“From there, any other issue can come up. We already talked
to them.”
He stated that the microblogging platform was suspended
because it provided an avenue for people threatening the corporate existence of
Nigeria.
He also accused Twitter founder, Mr. Jack Dorsey, of helping
to fund last October’s #EndSARS protest while allowing the leader of the proscribed
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to use the platform to call
for the killing of policemen.
He said Twitter failed to take down Kanu’s tweets despite
repeated requests to do so.
He listed conditions that must be met even if there is a
discussion with Twitter to include that it must now be registered in Nigeria as
a business concern.
Apart from Twitter, he said other social media platforms
like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram must now be registered in the country.
According to him, there is no infringement on freedom of
speech with the suspension of Twitter because Nigerians can still use other
platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
He also denied that the suspension is not effective as
Twitter is losing money as a result of the action.
He said: “For those that have heard that Oh, the ban is not
effective, to the best of my knowledge, I think the ban is very effective.
Otherwise, how would they be complaining that they are losing billions of naira
every day if the ban is not effective? But that is not the issue.”
On the circumstances that led to the suspension of Twitter,
Mohammed said all social media groups would have to be registered like they did
in other countries, for them to function now in Nigeria.
He added: “As you are aware, last Friday the federal
government suspended Twitter operations in Nigeria indefinitely, and the reason
we gave was because of the persistent use of the Twitter platform for
activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.
“On Friday, also the government directed the regulatory
body, the National Broadcasting Commission, to immediately commence the process
of licensing all OTT, Over The Top social media operations in Nigeria.
“And I believe that we’ve done that I think by today, that
advert is out asking that all OTT and social media coverage operating in
Nigeria should apply for registration and licensing.
“I want to repeat that is because Twitter has consistently
made its platform available to those who are threatening Nigeria’s corporate
existence that is the reason for suspending their operations in Nigeria.
“Because we’ve found out that Twitter is actually the
platform of choice for a particular separatist leader who resides outside the
country and issues directives to its members to attack symbols of government
authority, such as the police, the military, the electoral commission offices,
correctional centres, etc. And this is being done willfully and consistently
without any consequences from Twitter.
“You know, no country worth its name will tolerate that. And
no company, no matter its self-importance, will force any nation to accept
this.
“It may interest you to know that most of the OTT and social
media platforms operating in Nigeria do not have any office in Nigeria and do
not pay taxes to the Nigerian government for the billions they earn here. That
is not the best practice globally, and that is why we are insisting that for
you to operate in Nigeria, you must first be a Nigerian company and be licensed
by the broadcasting commission.
“Therefore, any OTT or social media platform operating in
Nigeria must do so legally. One, registered with Corporate Affairs Commission,
licensed by National Broadcasting Commission and then adhere to the conditions
stipulated in their licences. We have already advertised the notice to the
companies concerned to apply for registration of licence.
“Many one of the commentators have said suspending the
operation of Twitter is like stifling freedom of expression. And I said no.
Twitter is just one of the many platforms through which Nigerians can express
themselves. There is Facebook, there is Instagram, there’s WhatsApp. There’s
Google Hangout and others. They have not been suspended.
“And in any case, as I have said in several fora, it is
because we have a country called Nigeria that we can start talking about free
speech. And of course, there has to be a country before people can able to
transact their businesses using social media platforms.”
Citing the fact-checking done by online newspapers, the
minister accused Dorsey of funding the #EndSARS protest.
He said: “So, whether he donated money himself or helped to
raise money, the Twitter owner is one of those who helped to fund the #EndSARS
protests that were later hijacked leading to loss of lives and massive
destruction of property.
“Like I said last Wednesday, you can see from the
fact-checking, the role of Jack Dorsey is suspect. His interest in Nigeria is
inimical to our growth.
“Our decision to suspend Twitter has been lauded by some, it
has been decried by some. But we want to make it clear that what is important
to us is the sovereignty of Nigeria.
“And until when Twitter responds and the cardinal thing is
that Twitter must be registered in Nigeria. Twitter must be licensed in Nigeria
and Twitter must stop using its platform for activities that are inimical to
the growth of Nigeria and its corporate existence.”
Impose Visa Ban on Buhari, Malami, Others -PDP Tells US, UK,
Others
Meanwhile, the PDP yesterday called on the United States,
United Kingdom, Canada, Saudi Arabia and other members of the international
communities to immediately impose a visa ban on President Muhammadu Buhari and
members of his cabinet involved in stifling free speech in Nigeria.
The PDP predicated its demand on the alleged violation of UN
International Charter on Human Rights by Buhari by suspending the use of
Twitter in Nigeria.
The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary,
Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, described the suspension as a violation of Article 19 of
the UN Charter as well as section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),
which guaranteed freedom of expression to all Nigerians.
The party also urged the world bodies to also sanction
Mohammed, Malami and some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for
their individual roles in the suspension of Twitter in addition to associated
harassments and threats to Nigerians.
The PDP urged the countries to bar Buhari, Mohammed, Malami
and their family members from entering their territories for any private
purposes whatsoever.
Continue Tweeting, N’Assembly Minority Caucus Tells
Nigerians
Also, the joint Minority Caucus of the Senate and the House
of Representatives has called on Nigerians to ignore the Twitter suspension.
The lawmakers described the suspension as draconian as it
has resulted in the loss of sources of livelihood for many Nigerians.
The Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya
Abaribe, and Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, in a joint
statement said the joint caucus “restates its condemnation of the embargo as
draconian and unacceptable.”
The caucus also dismissed threats by the federal government
to arrest and prosecute Nigerians for using Twitter, calling on Nigerians to “go
ahead and use their Twitter (handles) as they would not be contravening any law
in Nigeria or any international statute.”
The lawmakers cited the provisions of Articles 19 and 20 of
the United Nations Charter on Fundamental Human Rights, which Nigeria is a
signatory to, as well as provisions of Sections 39 and 36 (12) of the 1999
Constitution (as amended), stating that “by these provisions, no one will be
violating any law for using Twitter in Nigeria.”
It added: “As lawmakers, the joint caucus is pained by the
anguish Nigerians, especially the youths, who find the use of Twitter as a
means of livelihood and genuine social interaction, are passing through just
because the APC-led federal government feels slighted that an individual’s post
was deleted by Twitter for an ethical violation.
“The joint caucus, therefore, calls on Nigerians to use
various opportunities offered by technology and continue making use of Twitter
since such does not violate any law in our country.
“It is agonising that Nigeria and Nigerians have been losing
billions of naira on a daily basis since the ban on Twitter. This is completely
unacceptable as it is worsening the already biting economic hardship and
frightening unemployment level in the country.”
Reverse Twitter Ban Immediately, USAID Warns FG
Also yesterday, USAID urged the federal government to
immediately reverse the suspension.
An administrator of USAID, Samantha Power, in a statement,
said: “There are nearly 40 million Twitter users in #Nigeria, and the country
is home to Africa’s largest tech hub.
“This suspension is nothing more than state-sanctioned
denial of free speech and should be reversed immediately.”