Twitter Ban: FG Gives Condition To Lift Suspension On Operations

The Federal government has given a condition to lift its indefinite suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria, TheCable reports.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, disclosed this during a meeting with envoys of US, UK, Canada and EU on Monday following their statement condemning the suspension.

According to the minister, the micro-blogging site will be restored in Nigeria only if the platform can be used “responsibly”.

Onyeama said although there is no definite timeline for when it will be restored, the micro-blogging site was suspended so as to stop it from being used as a platform for destabilisation and facilitation of criminality in the country.

According to him, Nigeria will no sit back and watch social media be used to “destabilise” the country, adding that “we want to use social media for good.” In his words:

“The condition would be responsible use of the social media and that really has to be it. We are not saying that Twitter is threatening the country or any such thing.

Why we have taken this measure is to stop them to be used as platforms for destabilisation and facilitation of criminality or encouragement of criminalities.”

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At the meeting held in Abuja were the envoys of the US, UK, Canada and the European Union, all of whom had condemned the “indefinite” suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.

Onyeama told newsmen after the meeting that the meeting was called for because the Federal government takes the comments of the envoys “very seriously”, hence the decision to discuss the matter with them in the “usual friendly way.”

The Minister added that the Buhari administration has to keep an eye on its “main objective and legacy” which, according to him, is the security of lives and property.

“We want to use social media for good. Differences of opinion is not a problem; everybody will not think alike.

But lives matter; Nigerian lives matter and we have to do everything we can to preserve Nigerian lives. And when we feel our goals are threatened, actions need to be taken,”

Onyeama was quoted as saying.