365Daily – The National Assembly opposition caucus has urged Nigerians to ignore the ban placed on Twitter by the Federal Government on Twitter.
It described the Federal Government’s directive as draconian and accused it of making people lose their sources of income.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, jointly signed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Minority Leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu, the caucus said the ban was unacceptable.
The opposition Lawmakers said there is no law that the FG would base arresting and prosecuting Nigerians for using Twitter on, and urged them to “go ahead and use their Twitter (handles) as they would not be contravening any law in Nigeria or any international statute.”
The lawmakers said they recognise 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.
Titled ‘NASS Joint Minority Caucus Asks Nigerians to Continue Using Twitter,’ the statement partly read, “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 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.
“Moreover, the ban on Twitter in Nigeria appears to be in favour of criminal and terrorist elements, whose activities fester in an environment of suppressed information flow.”
The lawmakers extended sympathy to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; online businesses owners and other hard working entrepreneurs across the country “whose genuine business and means of livelihood have been crippled by the unwarranted ban on Twitter by the APC Federal Government,” as well as students, research-based organisations, media houses, the organised civil society, faith-based organisations and community groups, whose information-based activities have been violently disrupted by the ban.
“In the same vein, the joint caucus sympathises with regional, states, local government as well as members of the international community, whose genuine and constructive activities have been crippled by the prohibition of twitter in Nigeria
“It also identifies with traditional rulers, who have even found Twitter as a means of communicating with the constituents, especially in this era of insecurity in the country.
”The Joint Caucus vehemently berates the APC-led government for abandoning its duty of addressing the serious economic and security problems confronting our nation to rather focus on dissipating energy victimizing Nigerians over their disagreement with Twitter for deleting a post by an individual,” the statement added.