The Nigerian Government has threatened to suspend all social media platforms in the country.

The Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated this before the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Information, Justice, and Communication on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Abuja while answering questions on the ban on Twitter, a microblogging site.

"We want Twitter to be registered first in the country before they can operate," he said.

On whether any channel of dialogue had been opened with Twitter, the minister said "we tried to but they rebuffed us. They are not known to us. They are not registered, but we hope we will be able to engage them", as he lamented that the organisation had no investment in Nigeria, but in Ghana, while the target market was Nigeria.

"There was no intention of the federal government to stifle free speech in the country. The only reason we suspended Twitter is that it was promoting disunity. Its activities are inimical to the unity of the country," Mohammed insisted.

He said the government is considering suspending other social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Google hangout, and others as they have been found to be promoting posts or statements capable of destabilising the country.

There was a mild drama when the Convener, Coalition in Defence Of Nigerian Democracy, Ariyo Dare Atoye who was at the venue of the hearing raised his hand to contribute but was ruled out of order and shut down by the Chairman of the Committee, Olusegun Odebunmi.

He said the minister was wrong in his presentation, adding that he defended the need for Nigeria to have independent media when he was in the opposition.

He wondered how the same person changed overnight to become an advocate of regulated social media.

Meanwhile, some of the committee members expressed concern at the decision and action of the executive to suspend Twitter, stating that the country was sliding into totalitarianism.

http://saharareporters.com/2021/06/22/twitter-ban-nigerian-government-threatens-suspend-facebook-instagram-whatsapp-others

Nawa.. steady retrogression

Oya now, then we will create our own indigenous app
Yeye govt

We will still use VPN.

Abeg minus WhatsApp
Some of us Na long distance relationship we dey on...

andyblinks05:
Oya now, then we will create our own indigenous app
Yeye govt

And they will still ban it..yeye youth

It's time to remember post office

Rejected stone has become the chief corner stone

Fake news!

If this one happen just knw say army go kill everybody bc all of us go cut chain Las Las

Usel£ss buff0ons. I thought they said Twitter wrote FG, begging? Liars.

They want to suspend social media so that their terrorist kinsmen will carry out jihad all over the country... without the rest of the world knowing. They have failed.

I support them so that many zombies and minions of BMC will lose their jobs.

Very soon laik diz Smart Phone will be useless we ar going bak to Nokia. 3310 Era....


This present Govt go soon ban Oxygen....

I'm just tired

Hmmn

Winter is coming....

What has asking government officials to appear before the NASS achieved?
Its annoying that Nigeria's democracy is not growing from where the previous administrations left off.

I have yet to see sweeping reforms the legislature has achieved.
What would have the compromised NASS done if Lai Mohammed hadn't shown up?

By the time Apc is done with Nigerians we go get sense by fire by force

Lai wants this govt to end ..he is tired

Misleading headlines.


Sahara reporters are found of deliberation quoting people out of context.

Kyase:
Abeg minus WhatsApp
Some of us Na long distance relationship we dey on...

I no fit laugh

Warripikine:
The Nigerian Government has threatened to suspend all social media platforms in the country.

The Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated this before the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Information, Justice, and Communication on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Abuja while answering questions on the ban on Twitter, a microblogging site.

"We want Twitter to be registered first in the country before they can operate," he said.

On whether any channel of dialogue had been opened with Twitter, the minister said "we tried to but they rebuffed us. They are not known to us. They are not registered, but we hope we will be able to engage them", as he lamented that the organisation had no investment in Nigeria, but in Ghana, while the target market was Nigeria.

"There was no intention of the federal government to stifle free speech in the country. The only reason we suspended Twitter is that it was promoting disunity. Its activities are inimical to the unity of the country," Mohammed insisted.

He said the government is considering suspending other social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Google hangout, and others as they have been found to be promoting posts or statements capable of destabilising the country.

There was a mild drama when the Convener, Coalition in Defence Of Nigerian Democracy, Ariyo Dare Atoye who was at the venue of the hearing raised his hand to contribute but was ruled out of order and shut down by the Chairman of the Committee, Olusegun Odebunmi.

He said the minister was wrong in his presentation, adding that he defended the need for Nigeria to have independent media when he was in the opposition.

He wondered how the same person changed overnight to become an advocate of regulated social media.

Meanwhile, some of the committee members expressed concern at the decision and action of the executive to suspend Twitter, stating that the country was sliding into totalitarianism.

http://saharareporters.com/2021/06/22/twitter-ban-nigerian-government-threatens-suspend-facebook-instagram-whatsapp-others

On whether any channel of dialogue had been opened with Twitter, the minister said "we tried to but they rebuffed us.

BUT ZOMBIES SAID TWITTER IS BEGGING Buhari nan.

Noted

It’s simple.

They want to be able to subpoena or hold these social media companies for ransom whenever someone exposes the evils of the buhari regime.

If I call buhari a dullard, they’d then ask Twitter for my sign in details; email, phone, address etc so they can locate me. If twitter refuses to comply, they’ll now threaten to seize their assests, most especially monetary funds.

Mark my words.

Interesting. .

Hockey stitches.

God punish the federal government
Nonsense!

Hockeystitches:
Interesting. .

Hockey stitches.

Want a small piece of advice?

As a local and SME, grow your business locally FIRST.

Putting photos of your clothes on nairaland is constituting a nuisance. If you must target a wider audience, buy ad spaces and banners.

Yeah right they are just a dot in cyber space

I expect this to be fake news. However it can happen because Nigerians have been caged

What are the senate arms doing tho? Nigeria is a democratic country ruled by 3 arms and not that by just that stupid never do well Buhari! If Buhari continue this way, the whole country would rise up and destroy him. Does he think he's invisible?Useless man.

About to go back in time

Kyase:
Abeg minus WhatsApp
Some of us Na long distance relationship we dey on...

E.g myself
How they wan make I dey chat Juliette
Yeye government

This is what u get when u allow illiterate to b ur president

They no born them well to attempt that otherwise how will Bmc miscreants survive