Buhari directs Fashola, Malami, Pantami others to dialogue with Twitter

By our reporter| Nigeria on Tuesday set up a team to dialogue with Twitter over the ban of the microblogging site by the federal government.

Minister of information, Lai Mohammed who made the disclosure in a statement, said President Muhammadu Buhari named Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing, Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation, Isa Pantami (Communication and Digital Economy), Chris Ngige, (Labour), and Geoffrey Onyeama (Foreign Affairs) as members of the team.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the composition of the Federal Government’s team to engage with Twitter over the recent suspension of the operations of the microblogging and social networking service in Nigeria,” the statement read.

“The Federal Government’s team also comprises the Attorney General of the Federation and Honourable Minister of Justice, Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Honourable Minister of State for Labour and Employment as well as other relevant
government agencies.

“Following the indefinite suspension of its operations in Nigeria, for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence, Twitter wrote to President Buhari seeking to engage with the Federal Government over the suspension, with a view to charting a path forward.”

The Federal Government had banned Twitter indefinitely over alleged interference after it deleted Tweet from President Buhari referencing the civil war following attacks on security personnel and government institutions by suspected IPOB militants.

Despite pressure from the international community and civil right groups, the Buhari government had refused to budge.

Many Nigerians had circumvented the ban through the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

But the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) later ordered all radio and television stations to deactivate their Twitter accounts.

The government has said all social media companies must register as businesses in Nigeria.