from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – MEDIA have appealed to the Nigerian government to rescind its ban on the social media platform, Twitter.
The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) lambasted the suspension of the United States-headquartered Twitter as a setback for online publishing and other businesses which depend on the social media platform for mass circulation and marketing of their businesses.
“We believe this suspension will ruin our businesses and shrink the democratic space,” stated GOCOP through its President, Dotun Oladipo and General Secretary, Danlami Nmodu.
The officials said the order by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government would leave social media handlers jobless.
“This will compound the already troubling unemployment situation in the country,” they stated.
“We believe this action is more injurious to the survival of Nigerian young business entrepreneurs who rely on Twitter.”
Africa’s most influential country – with the largest economy and biggest population- suspended Twitter’s operations in the country last Friday.
Mobile phone networks blocked access after being ordered by the government of President Buhari.
The move allegedly came after Twitter deleted a tweet by Buhari supposedly breached the site’s rules.
The tweet referred to Nigeria’s civil war that ran from 1967 to 1970.
Some 100 000 civilians were killed in the West African country.
– CAJ News