…FG cries foul
Social media giant, Twitter, has deleted a controversial post by President Muhammadu Buhari on the Biafran war of 1967-1970 wherein many lives were lost.
The tweet, which was posted on Tuesday, read in part, “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”
This statement did not go down well with many Nigerians who felt Buhari’s comments were insensitive particularly as his administration had not spoken hard on northern elements who cause trouble in the country
However, the President’s supporters, led by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, who came to prominence through activism, defended Buhari’s tweet.
Following several complaints, Twitter eventually bowed to pressure, deleting the tweet.
A comment by Twitter stated, “This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules”.
The social media giant had earlier in the year banned then United States President, Donald Trump, for his inciting comments which led to the attack on the US Congress.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday, accused social media giant, Twitter, of double standards for deleting the controversial post by Buhari.
Speaking with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday, Mohammed said Twitter had conveniently ignored inciting tweets by the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, and others.
The minister said the social media giant also displayed the same bias during the #ENDSARS protest during which government and private property were either looted or destroyed.
He said Twitter’s role is suspicious and Nigeria would not be fooled.
He said, “Twitter may have its own rules, they are not the universal rules. 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?
“They 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.”
Buhari had in series of tweet on Tuesday through his Twitter handle, @MBuhari tweeted, “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”
Following complaints, Twitter deleted the tweet, stating “This tweet violated the Twitter rules.”
