FG – Close Monitoring On Twitter

Post created on 3:50 pm

The Federal Government says it is closely monitoring the activities of the popular micro-blogging, Twitter, following the recent ownership change of the platform.

CrownFm reports that the acquisition of Twitter, by Musk began on April 14, 2022, and was concluded on October 27, 2022, after months of back and forth, lawsuits and verbal mudslinging.

The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed during an inter-ministerial press briefing to present President Muhammadu Buhari’s scorecard between 2015 and 2023, added that though there are no intentions to ban any social media platform, the government has resolved not to allow any social media platform spread fake news, disinformation and hate speech.

Present at the briefing was the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika and the two permanent secretaries of both ministries.

According to Mohammed, the government has continued to engage positively with different social media platforms, including Facebook, Google (owners of YouTube) and Twitter.

Mohammed was quoted saying: “Let me say this: We are closely monitoring the evolving developments at Twitter. It has never been our intention to ban any social media platform or stifle free speech. Not at all. What happened in the case of Twitter is well known to all.”

“Twitter became a platform of choice for those who want to destabilize Nigeria, using fake news, disinformation and hate speech. No nation will allow any social media platform to plunge it into anarchy. Not Nigeria.

“But we have continued to engage positively with the different social media platforms, including Facebook, Google (owners of YouTube) and Twitter.

“We have no intention of banning any social media platform again. But we will also not sit by and allow any platform whatsoever to throw our nation into crisis.