SawabiyaNews
LILIAN MADAKI
Nov. 6th, 2020
While Northern Governors Forum had on Monday expressed support for the ongoing efforts to regulate the social media which they claimed it is meant to check the spread of fake news in the country.
A Stunch Elder Statesman of the Northern Region, a pillar of Arewa Consultative Forum, and North Central Peoples Forum, Sen. Gen. JT Useni has ejected the moves to regulate social media in Nigeria.
The General who was representated by his Media Consultant, Pastor Yiljap Abraham during an Inaugural Lecture and fundraising for purchasing of vehicle by Correspondent’s Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists(NUJ) Plateau Council, Useni expressed fear that, censoring the social media could be targeted the Conventional media practioners also.
This, according to him, youth, media and civil society organisations who are demanding accountability and competence from authorities will not longer have the freedom of expression to do so.
While I do not condone the act of dissemination of fake news, but I also frawn at the attempt to hide under fake news to use regulation of social media for selfish reasons.
Useni described Journalists and the entire media practioners as friends and defending sword of the Masses and to him in particular.
The Nationalist used the occasion to appreciate the Journalists for believing in Useni’s Ideology.
He said, “instead of regulating the social media, why not authorities transform governance to make impact in the lives of citizens?”
“i don’t support the move to regulate social Media” Useni emphasized!
“Those in places of authority should rather be accountable to the people, open, feed people with the truth and thats the only way they will have no counter” said Useni.
He pointed out, ”More so that, the social media platforms are already self regulated by conditions that the news, conversations or dialogue taking place through the platform are monitored and controlled as per defined guidelines by their various administrators”.
“Danger of this move is when any regulatory agency becomes captured by the people it is supposed to regulate”
“For instance, situation where an agency that is supposed to regulate social media is been captured by politicians and activists who might want to use their position to suppress the arguments of their political opponents”
He also supported the Correspondent’s Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists(NUJ) with the sum of four hundred thousand (400)naira towards purchase of the Bus for their safety and convinience so as to give their best.
He sympathized with the Council over the demise of their colleagues some years back at Dankang as a result of acicident which occured due to lack of standard vehicle for their mobility.
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