The Federal Government has lashed out at social media giant, Twitter, for playing alleged double standards on issues concerning Nigeria’s domestic issues, describing the company’s role in Nigeria as suspect.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, reacting to questions over the reported deletion of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweets reminiscing Nigerians’ experiences during the civil and warning to armed secessionists in the Southeast region of the country on Tuesday, said Twitter had not been fair to Nigeria.
According to the Minister, “Twitter may have its own rules; it’s not the universal rule. If Mr. President, anywhere in the world feels very bad and concern about a situation, he is free to express such views. Now, we should stop comparing apples with oranges. If an organisation is proscribed, it is different from any other which is not proscribed.
Two, any organisation that gives directives to its members, to attack police stations, to kill policemen, to attack correctional centres, to kill warders, and you are now saying that Mr. President does not have the right to express his dismay and anger about that? We are the ones guilty of double standards.
I don’t see anywhere in the world where an organisation, a person will stay somewhere outside Nigeria, and will direct his members to attack the symbols of authority, the police, the military, especially when that organisation has been proscribed. By whatever name, you can’t justify giving orders to kill policemen or to kill anybody you do not agree with.”
