By Tordue Salem – Abuja
The Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives committee on anti-corruption, Rep. Dachung Musa Bagos (PDP-Plateau), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately rescind the ban placed on the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter to save the nation’s democracy and economy.
He said apart from the fact that it will negatively affect the country’s democratic advancement and the ailing economy, it will accelerate the worsening insecurity in the country.
Bagos, who made the call in a press statement on Tuesday in Abuja said “I wish to on behalf of my constituents, other patriotic Nigerians and horde of Nigerian youths who make a living out of Twitter and other social media platforms call on President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency lift the ban on Twitter.
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“This ban has immediate and long term negative economic and political effects on the nation and should be reversed in the interest of the generality of Nigerians and our international friends and partners”
The lawmaker said “The ban is already affecting the income of many Nigerian youths who rely on Twitter for their daily income by attracting investments for technological start-up businesses.
“In this age when Nigeria is battling with widespread unemployment and unprecedented security challenges, it will be wrong to throw more hardworking youths into the unemployment market and make them susceptible for recruitment by terrorists groups”
Bagos noted that the ban is an indirect way of regulating the social media thereby infringing on the rights of Nigerians to freely express themselves and engage in exchange of ideas as well as access information.
“I appeal to Mr. President not to throw the baby with the bathwater but look for other avenues to resolve the governments differences with Twitter instead of placing an indefinite ban.
“The federal government must know that the ban on Twitter is affecting Nigerians from participating in the process of governance and limiting their rights to promote transparency and accountability in the system”
The lawmaker urged the government to save Nigeria from once again descending into the abyss of a pariah nation since the Twitter ban is counterproductive to diplomatic and international engagements
“A situation whereby diplomats in the biggest black nation on earth cannot access Twitter inflicts a dictatorial scar on the modest progress Nigeria has so far made politically and democratically”.
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