Former US President Donald Trump has characteristically congratulated Nigeria for blocking Twitter and called on more nations to follow suit, New York Post reports.
“Congratulations to the country of Nigeria, who just banned Twitter because they banned their President,” he said in the statement.
The controversial former leader also encouraged other countries to replicate Nigeria’s example and ban Twitter and Facebook. “More countries should ban Twitter and Facebook for not allowing free and open speech — all voices should be heard. In the meantime, competitors will emerge and take hold.
Who are they to dictate good and evil if they themselves are evil? Perhaps I should have done it while I was President. But Zuckerberg kept calling me and coming to the White House for dinner telling me how great I was. 2024?” he added.
Meanwhile, Nigerians are still ‘fighting’ President Muhammadu Buhari for banning Twitter in Nigeria. To that end, a Lagos-based radio station, Radio Now 95.3FM has criticized the decision of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to make television and radio stations deactivate their Twitter account following the ban on Twitter.
According to the Radio Station, it is the fundamental right for people to express their opinion and speech under the Nigerian constitution.
A statement by the executive director of the radio station, Kadaria Ahmed, read. “We believe this amounts to an attack on the media and freedom of speech, both of which are guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria,”
“Section 22 of Nigeria’s constitution guarantees press freedom by stating that the press, radio, television, and other agencies of the mass media shall at all time be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people,”
” We believe the notice by NBC goes against these laws. Radio Now will, under duress, comply with the directive of the commission while consulting with our lawyers on the legality of this directive.
“The advice we receive will determine our next steps. It is important to state that we too are dismayed at the direction our beloved nation is headed but while we recognise the responsibility of the government to act where it sees a threat to the country, we believe such decisions must consider the implications for press freedom, our fragile democracy & the impact on livelihoods.
“Solutions that continue to give Nigerians the use of what has become a tool for freedom, that has democratised information particularly for minorities and the most vulnerable in society; while also fighting against hate speech are surely the way forward.
“Radio Now is not convinced a ban on Twitter, and a directive by NBC, barring broadcasting stations from using the platform is the right way. We urge the government to go back and engage with experts, many of whom abound in the country, on how to fight hate speech, misinformation and disinformation while respecting and upholding rights that are fundamental in a democracy.”
SOURCE: www.Ghgossip.com
