Category: National Issue

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The Nation reports the pro-Yoruba nation protesters have held rallies across southwest states including Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, and Ondo.

Also, NANS under the leadership of its National President, Comrade Sunday Asefon, had declared June 12 as National Day of Peaceful Protest to call on government to act decisively towards addressing insecurity.

Igboho’s spokesman, Olayomi Koiki in a live video programme aired on Wednesday night, called on southwest Governors to cooperate with the peaceful protesters during the exercise.

He said: “Let us warn the Federal Government that if there is bloodshed this weekend, the international community is watching, if the military kills any Nigerian this weekend, it is going to be very hot.

“The Yoruba Nation rally will go ahead in every part of Yoruba land and the rest of the country where it will hold.

“Red alarm will begin on Friday. People should stock up food Items from Friday night.

“We are not backing down this weekend; we are ready to take back what belongs to us.”

He also enjoined agitators to ‘fast’ on Friday.

TheNation

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The meeting would be held under the backing of Interfaith Initiatives for Peace, newsmen has learnt.

The group, jointly led by Obasanjo, Sultan, Abdulsalami, and Onaiyekan, will be discussing “pressing issues” encumbering the country.

According to a letter addressed to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, issues such as national unity, security, peace, integration, economic revitalisation, and development will be discussed at the meeting.

The letter read in part, “I am pleased to invite you on behalf of Interfaith Initiatives for Peace jointly led by the Sultan of Sokoto, his eminence Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar and his eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan, national peace committee chaired by General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Socio-cultural Consultative Committee convened by me and all these bodies called Committee of Goodness of Nigeria, CJN, to an exploratory meeting on pressing issues of national unity, security, peace, integration, economic revitalisation and development, women and youth welfare and general progress.”

Punch

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The National President of the association, Mr. Olalere Benedict, made this known at a press conference in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

He said the Federal Government has the right to put a stop to anything capable of heating up the country’s polity.

According to him, Twitter is not bigger than Nigeria and that it is an entity, while Nigeria is a sovereign country.

He urged the Federal Government to put in place control measures that will monitor the activities of the social media in the country.

Vanguard

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JUSUN took the decision at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting which just ended in Abuja.

The National Judicial Council (NJC) had, at a meeting with JUSUN leaders on Tuesday, with the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad in attendance, urged the striking court workers to put an end to the industrial action in the interest of the country and the suffering court users.

TheNation

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The Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; and Minority Leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu, stated this in a statement issued on Wednesday, titled ‘NASS Joint Minority Caucus Asks Nigerians to Continue Using Twitter.’

According to the statement, the joint caucus met over the ban by the All Progressives Congress government and “restates its condemnation of the embargo as draconian and unacceptable.”

The opposition lawmakers also dismissed threats by the government to arrest and prosecute Nigerians for using twitter, calling on Nigerians to “go ahead and use their Twitter (handles) as they would not be contravening any law in Nigeria or any international statute.”

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.”

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The suit No ECW/CCJ/APP/23/21 was filed by Solicitor to SERAP and human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN.

SERAP also argued that the “suspension of Twitter is aimed at intimidating and stopping Nigerians from using Twitter and other social media platforms to assess government policies, expose corruption, and criticize acts of official impunity by the agents of the Federal Government.”

In the suit, SERAP and the concerned Nigerians sought, “An order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government from implementing its suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, and subjecting anyone including media houses, broadcast stations using Twitter in Nigeria, to harassment, intimidation, arrest and criminal prosecution, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”

The Plaintiffs also contended that “if this application is not urgently granted, the Federal Government will continue to arbitrarily suspend Twitter and threaten to impose criminal and other sanctions on Nigerians, telecommunication companies, media houses, broadcast stations and other people using Twitter in Nigeria, the perpetual order sought in this suit might be rendered nugatory.”

Punch

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Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed made this known on Monday evening during an interview with BBC News Africa monitored by The PUNCH.

Adeboye, in a tweet on Monday, had said his church is present in over 170 countries and tweeting is in accordance with Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Hours later, Kumuyi also tweeted that his church has branches across over 100 countries and five continents hence it can tweet from anywhere in the world.

When asked specifically whether the government would prosecute Kumuyi and Adeboye for defying its Twitter ban, the minister said, “The Attorney-General has made it clear that if anybody violates the regulation that such a person will be prosecuted and this is not about any particular person. It is in the realm of the Attorney-General to decide who or who not to prosecute.”

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The ambassadors stated this at a meeting with the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, in Abuja.

The statement partly read, “The diplomatic missions of Canada, the European Union (Delegation to Nigeria), the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America convey our disappointment over the Government of Nigeria’s announcement suspending #Twitter and proposing registration requirements for other social media.

“We strongly support the fundamental human right of free expression and access to information as a pillar of democracy in Nigeria as around the world and these rights apply online as well as offline.

“Banning systems of expression is not the answer. These measures inhibit access to information and commerce at precisely the moment when Nigeria needs to foster inclusive dialogue and expression of opinions, as well as share vital information in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Speaking on behalf of the five envoys at a closed-door meeting with Onyeama on Monday, US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, maintained the earlier position of the five ambassadors that the ban on Twitter by the Nigerian government violates freedom of expression of Nigerians irrespective of the concerns by the government that the platform was being used to perpetrate hate speech and criminality.

“We recognise the official position of the Nigerian government on the responsible use of social media but we remain firm in our position that free access to information is very important and perhaps more important during troubled times,” she said.

Punch

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Following reactions to the Federal Government’s suspension of twitter operations, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama will meet with foreign diplomats today.

US, UK, EU, Sweden have all reacted against the ban, which they condemned as infirngment on rights of the people.

The meeting, it was gathered, is meant to explain government’s stance on the issue.

This was contained in an invitation to pressmen issued on Monday morning by Kimiebi Ebienfa of the Crisis Monitoring and Public Communications Division of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“I am directed to inform that following the recent ban on Twitter by the Federal Government and Press Statement issued by some Heads of Diplomatic Missions Accredited to Nigeria on the subject matter, the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency, Geoffrey Onyeama has invited the affected Ambassadors to a meeting today at 12 noon.

“The venue is Minister’s Conference Room, 8th Floor.

” You are hereby invited to cover the meeting. Thanks for your usual cooperation,” the invite read.

Punch

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The US said in a statement that the move undermines Nigeria’s ability to exercise this freedom and it sends a poor message to investors.

The statement read, “Nigeria’s constitution provides for freedom of expression. The government’s recent #Twitterban undermines Nigeria’s ability to exercise this fundamental freedom and sends a poor message to its citizens, investors and businesses.

“Banning social media and curbing every citizen’s ability to seek, receive and impart information undermines fundamental freedoms. As President Biden has stated, our need for individual expression, open public conversation and accountability has never been greater.

“The part to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less communication, alongside concerted efforts towards unity, peace and prosperity.”

Punch