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Twitter, Buhari and his divided citizens by Lateef Adewole
Apart from football, what other things have ever united Nigerians at any time? I am actually referring to the ordinary people of Nigeria, not the elites, because, while the elites, particularly the political class, sow division among the masses using ethnicity and religion, they are united on the table where the common wealth of the country is shared.
Sadly, the poor masses have never and may never realise this. There are truly only two categories of citizens in Nigeria; the leaders, who luxuriate on the cake and the rest of the people, who laboriously bake it. The two live in different worlds, literally, in the same country.
Such division among Nigerians have also manifested in the past one week since the banning of the microblogging platform, Twitter, by the Federal Government of Nigeria. This followed the deleting of a tweet of President Buhari, which many Nigerians found offensive and reported to Twitter to delete. Subsequently, the president’s account was also suspended for twelve hours.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey
The appointees of the government have tried to defend and justify that action. Many reasons adduced were brought in retrospect, in a manner similar to arresting a “suspect” before looking for what to charge him with. I have observed the division in the middle between those who are for and those who are against the ban. As usual, they are “majorly” informed by religion, ethnicity and political leanings, vagued as “patriotism”.
It was alleged that FG called attention of Twitter to other inciting tweets against Nigeria by IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, but Twitter did nothing about them. There was even a reply tweet to President Buhari, purported to be from Twitter management which was so insulting and derogatory. I was offended by it too. However, few days ago, I read somewhere that it was fake. Many based their supports for the ban on that tweet.
On the side, the speed with which the government responded to Twitter and axed it was incredible. Many saw a different government from the lackluster, lackadaisical and slow one that has been managing their affairs all this while. Seriously, there is a pattern to this. Whenever an issue that touches the president directly happens, the government act with immediate alacrity. Also, anything that has to do with “cows” gets such promptness as well. Or, didn’t President Buhari just say human beings should vacate grazing routes and grazing reserves they have encroached for cows to move and feed few days ago?
However, when matters bedeviling the citizens are at the front burner, the government hardly respond so swiftly. Many Nigerians believe that had federal government being so quick to tackle the insecurities facing the country, we might not have been where we found ourselves today. It seems the killings, kidnappings and all kinds of criminalities that have taken over the country no longer count for much, given the government’s feeble responses to them.
Back to Twitter. I have read and listened to many opinions of people who defended the ban. And I agree with many points made. If for so long, there were tweets that incite violence, hate and crisis within the country, posted by irredentists, but Twitter never deemed it fit to pull them down, or suspend such accounts, following the community rules, that would have amounted to double standards. That’s unacceptable to any country’s leadership and even citizens.
These protagonist of the ban cited many other countries that have banned Twitter. China, North Korea, Myanmar and Turkmenistan. Others which have once blocked it include; Egypt, Turkey, Uganda, Pakistan, UAE and Iran. France did so based on court order. India has been in discussion with Twitter for about five months now.
When we look at this list, would the government of Nigeria like to be categorised in the same “democratic” space with China, North Korea, and Myanmar? These are countries under dictatorship. Except of course, we already adopted and operating that here without the citizens’ knowledge. These countries are known for their notoriety for stifling free speech.
Another reason is comparing posts of Kanu with that of the president of Nigeria. Some of us found that denigrating to the office of our president. Granted that Kanu has a lot of influence on his followers, to whom he continues to dish out his propaganda. This has overtly or covertly led to most crisis in the South-East region, especially the current state of instability that have engulfed the Igboland. However, not all Igbos are Nnamdi Kanu’s apostles. Not all Igbos are IPOB members. Although, many might be sentimental to his Biafra cause but most disagreed with the methods adopted by him.
Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of proscribed IPOB
So, to equate pronouncements from such person to the weight of any statement from the president of the largest black country on earth, is ludicrous. It either means they brought President Buhari down to Kanu’s level or have elevated Kanu to the “presidential” level, both of which are wrong. I have also read all manners of interpretations to what the president said in that “controversial” tweet.
When reference is made to a war that happened many decades ago, between the Igbos and the Nigerian state, in which the president actively participated on the Nigerian side, where millions died by bullets or starvation or diseases, on the side of the Igbos, and this statement is still directed to the same region now, that they will be dealt with in “the language they understand”. What interpretation was expected to be given to that?
When such omnibus statement created the kind of outrage that followed it, one would have expected the federal government to make further clarifications, similar to what the president said in his interview with Arise Tv crew, aired on Thursday. When same question was put to him, he said what he meant was that the police and the military will deal decisively with the IPOB, ESN members and anybody fomenting trouble in the region. That would have suffice. We won’t be here expending energy about Twitter.
But with the thinking within the presidency, comments from many prominent northerners and even a comment from Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa, one would see the president’s new statement as an afterthought. That’s not the way to lead a country.
I will not agree with anyone who feels freedom of speech has no limit. When our collective existence as a country is being threatened by the speeches of one person or some people, that is unacceptable and such must be curbed. But, “se ori bibe loogun ori fifo ni” (is beheading the cure for the headache)? Are there no other ways the government can handle it without the unquantifiable collateral damages we all incurred with the ban on Twitter?
Nigeria Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed announced Twitter ban indefinitely
Many supporters of the ban discountenanced the negative economic implications of the ban. They are more obsessed with the possible losses that Twitter would incur without considering the larger consequences on the Nigerian businesses and people. Nigeria is about 10% of Twitter market. It has 90% as alternative market. What alternative does Nigeria provide for her citizens who earn their daily bread using Twitter? I am sure majority of these people who support the ban are employees or business owners whose company operations do not depend on Twitter or are government employees /appointees, or just blind loyalists.
As a business owner, I know the financial implications of such ban on businesses whose operations depend on Twitter. Many young people, who government failed to provide employment opportunities for, have found ways and means of survival by running online businesses using platforms like Twitter. There are social media influencers, brand promoters, product ambassadors, whose offices are on Twitter. What were they expected to do?
I also listened to some dumb arguments that they should start using other platforms, that there was life before Twitter and there will be life after it. Preposterous. Will a person or business owner with hundreds of thousands or millions of followers (existing and potential customers) on Twitter, just abandon them and move to another platform so suddenly? How will those followers be carried along with him or her to sustain his or her business? How will he or she communicate with them with such ban? It has been estimated that Nigerian small businesses are losing about 2.5 billion naira per day to the ban. Who pays for that?
The alternatives that were brandished, do they belong to Nigeria or made in Nigeria? What has Nigeria done to establish itself as a “giant of Africa”? It’s a time like this that such superiority is touted. Why Alhaji Lai Muhammed and co. were quick to mention China, they did not mention all the possible “made-in-China” alternative social media platforms available to the Chinese.
These include: Weibo as substitute for Twitter, WeChat for WhatsApp, Alibaba for Amazon, Baidu for Google, Tudou and Youku for YouTube. What has Nigeria supported to be built as “made-in-Nigeria” platforms? These are way to show superiority not mere bullying. I even learnt that government has adopted another foreign microblogging platform from India called “koo koo koo” (when it’s not a chicken).
As for the ban, how has government been able to enforce it? A country that has no infrastructure for enforcing such ban except bullying and high-handedness. Imagine NBC ordering broadcasting stations to deactivate their Twitter accounts. Under what law? Well, the AGF has said he will prosecute people who flout the order. He must really be prepared as the people are so numerous, including very important religious and political leaders, elected and appointed, past and present. By the way, we saw him posted the evidence that he deactivated his Twitter account on Wednesday. He posted it on his Facebook account. How did he access a “banned” Twitter platform to do so?
May be he will explain that to the judge in court when he begins prosecution from himself. He said defaulters will find out under which law they are being prosecuted in court. Have we descended that low because no known law specifically prohibits the use of Twitter in Nigeria today, according to the constitution of Nigeria. Is AGF cooking his own law secretly? Well, may be as afterthought, after he was called out for accessing Twitter, albeit “illegally” too, a statement yesterday said the government is not after Twitter users again. We shall see.
Millions of Nigerians were said to be accessing Twitter like it was not banned. VPN, (I don’t mean “Vice President of Nigeria” o) has been the route. What power does government have over that? None! Sadly, like I read somewhere two days ago, using this route is having what a writer referred to as “unintended consequences”. Since those who access Twitter now chose other countries as their locations, their activities on the platform are now seen in those countries. By this, the whole world continuously see tweets from Nigerians and this exposes what would have been local problems to the whole world. Many concerns raised about Nigeria and Nigerian government now trend in other countries around the world. Would the government have wanted that?
We learnt that reconciliatory moves are ongoing between Twitter and the federal government, not the fake news purportedly written by Twitter claiming “they are on their kneels begging FGN”, like a slave would beg his master. My brother in APC was quick to forward it to me. That reconciliatory move is a good sign. We can agree that FG has scored good points. That action led Twitter to delete many posts from Nnamdi Kanu which government was said to have complained about. That’s a win for them.
While the citizens appreciate government’s protection of the sovereignty of the country by taking some actions that they deem necessary at times like this, it should not be a licence to gag freedom of expression, as we have seen that tendencies since the coming of this administration. It was Alhaji Lai Mohammed championed the social media regulatory bill in the national assembly years ago. It was fought aground by the people. Ever since, there has been that obsession to re-enact it, directly or indirectly. We also saw the NBC codes introduced by his ministry, under which many broadcast stations have been shut down, fined or punished. It was done without consultation of or contributions from, the stakeholders in the industry. These are reminiscences of tyrannical years of the military in Nigeria. It will not be accepted.
Ironically, this is a government which rode on the same opportunity of free speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of association, which the last administration allowed. Alhaji Lai Muhammed was a vociferous attacker of previous presidents and their governments, especially President Jonathan, being the mouthpiece of the main opposition party then. And the social media platforms, including Twitter, were used prominently by him. Same social media, largely driven by the same youths who are being silenced today, who were said to be “misbehaving”, was used to bring down last administration and used to bring this government to power. Is this a case of “abenilori, ki fe ki won mu ida koja lori oun” (a hangman does not like the noose brought near his own neck)? That’s unfortunate.
In all, lessons should have been learnt by all parties. Social media platforms should be used responsibly and the owners should be alive to their censorship responsibilities without infringing on the fundamental human rights to freedom of speech of their users. Government and leaders must also be circumspect in their utterances. Being insensitive to citizens’ feelings only happens when leaders consider themselves as being served rather than they, serving the people. That is a wrong mindset.
May God continue to guide us aright.
God Bless Nigeria.
Lateef Adewole is a political analyst and social commentator. He can be reached by email lateefadewole23@gmail.com or via WhatsApp +2348179512401 and @lateef_adewole on Twitter, Lateef Adewole on Facebook
