365Daily – Following the suspension of Twitter  operations in Nigeria by the Federal Government, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has asked all broadcasting stations operating in the country to suspend the use of the platform.

Twitter was banned on Friday, June 4, 2021, after an announcement conveyed in a statement issued by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed.

Residents in the country woke up on Saturday to a blocked access to the app.

Though it was initially said to be indefinite, the Presidency later declared the ban as temporary.

The row between the Federal Government and Twitter was triggered by the deletion of a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari last Tuesday, wherein he threatened to treat ‘trouble makers’ in the Southeast in a “language they understand.”

The tweet, which was alluding to the Civil War where many lives were lost, was flagged as offensive by many Nigerians, leading to its removal by the micro-blogging platform on Wednesday for breaching one of its rules.

The Director General of NBC, Armstrong Idachaba, on Monday, June 7, 2021, instructed broadcast stations to “de-install twitter handles and desist from using twitter as a source (UGC) of information gathering for News and programmes presentation especially phone-in.”

The statement read: “Consequent on the suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria by the Federal Government over the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining the corporate existence of Nigeria, the National Broadcasting Commission directs all Broadcasting Stations in Nigeria to suspend the patronage of Twitter immediately.

“In compliance to the above directive, Broadcasting Stations are hereby advised to de- install twitter handles and desist from using twitter as a source (UGC) of information gathering for News and programmes Presentation especially Phone-in.

“Section 2(1) r of the NBC Act entrusts the Commission with responsibility to ensure strict adherence to the national laws, rules and regulations. Also, section 3.11.2 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code provides that “the broadcaster shall ensure that law enforcement is upheld at all times in a matter depicting that law and order are socially superior to or more desirable than Crime and Anarchy.

“Attention is also drawn to section 5.6.3 of The Code which requires Broadcasters to be mindful of materials that may cause disaffection, incite to panic or rift in the society in the use of a user generated Content (UGC).

“Note that it will be unpatriotic for any broadcaster in Nigeria to continue to patronise the suspended Twitter as a source of its information therefore strict compliance is enjoined.”