Barely twenty four hours after taking one of the most criticised decisions since he came to power six years ago, there’s no respite for president Muhammadu Buhari, as world superpowers flayed his government over the suspension of microblogging site, Twitter in the west African country.
In a joint statement by Canada, European Union, Republic of Ireland, United kingdom and The United States of America said, suspending the systems of expression is not the way forward.
The statement was titled, ‘Joint Statement From The Diplomatic Missions Of Canada, The European Union (Delegation to Nigeria), The Republic of Ireland, The united kingdom, and The United States of America’.
It reads: “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 pillar of democracy in Nigeria as around the world and these rights apply online as well as offline.
“Banning systems of expressions is not the answer. These measures inhibit access to information and commerce precisy 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.
“The path to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less, communication to accompany the concerted efforts of Nigeria’s citizens in fulsome dialogue towards unity, peace and prosperity.
“As Nigeria’s partners, we stand ready to assist these goals,” The statement concludes.
