The US, UK, Canadian and European Union (EU) envoys have
insisted that the federal government’s decision to indefinitely suspend Twitter
in Nigeria is not in the public’s interest.
The envoys said while they acknowledge concerns about
responsible use of social media, Nigerians need free access to platforms where
they can express themselves especially in times of trouble.
They were speaking at a meeting with Geoffrey Onyeama,
minister of foreign affairs, who had invited them after they all expressed
their “disappointment” over the suspension of Twitter and proposed regulation
of social media platforms in Nigeria.
Despite the government’s claim that Twitter is being used to undermine the existence of Nigeria, some have argued the suspension may be connected to the company’s decision to delete President Muhammadu Buhari tweet recently.
At the meeting held in Abuja on Monday, Onyeama restated the
government’s claim that Twitter is being used by groups such as the outlawed
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to aggravate Nigeria’s security challenges.
But Mary Beth-Leonard, US ambassador to Nigeria, who spoke
on behalf of other envoys, urged the government to use judicial processes
“within the scope of respect for human rights and the rule of law” in pursuing
their goals.
“We have to be very clear that we are Nigeria’s strong
partners on issues of security and we recognise the daunting task on the issues
of security that confronts Nigeria,” she said.
“While they are
daunting, they are not insurmountable, and part of the way you surmount them is
with the partnership of the people you see represented here.
“We recognise that there are issues of irresponsible use of
social media, but we remain firm in our position that free access to the
ability to express self is very important and perhaps more important in
troubled times.”
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