Why Social Media Must Be Regulated — Gbajabiamila

Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has argued that social media must be
regulated to protect national interests.

He also said the Lower Chamber was yet to take any position on
the suspension of micro blogging platform Twitter by the Federal
Government.

The Speaker said social media must be regulated because
“everything in life has to be regulated.”

The Speaker, who spoke on Channels TV programme A chat with
Young Nigerians on Sunday monitored by The Nation, said lawmakers
need to hear from all sides in the matter before arriving at a
position.

While throwing his weight behind regulation of social media, the
Speaker said: “The social media is the most potent weapon for good
and for evil. While we welcome the good, we must prepare over the
evil. You cannot use the idea of free speech to destroy me.

“Most democracies in the world today are making efforts to
regulate the social media and the National Assembly has been
considering regulating the social media for long. But each time the
issue comes up, Nigerians kick against it.

“It is something we need to do because we have a responsibility
to protect every single citizen in this country and that is what we
must do”.

He assured whatever position the National Assembly take would be
in the overall interest of the Nigerian people.

He said even though the Federal Government has accused twitter
of raising funds for #ENDSARS protest in 2020 and posing major
threat to national security, the House is asking basic questions,
which include likely information available to the government which
Nigerians are not privy to.

He said: “We are elected by the people to represent them and
ordinarily, we should be on their side. But this is not a beauty
contest. You must listen to all sides. Government says Twitter
poses threat to national security. What are the information
available to them that we are not privy to?

“They have also said that it is not about the President’s tweet
which was taken down but a mere coincidence. We are listening to
government because we have heard from the people.

“We agree that there is freedom of speech but the government is
saying that freedom is not absolute. Even at that, the freedom can
be protected but not at instance of the country.

“I am happy that twitter and government are already talking. At
the end, I hope that the issue will be resolved in the best way
possible”.

Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has argued that social media must be
regulated to protect national interests.

He also said the Lower Chamber was yet to take any position on
the suspension of micro blogging platform Twitter by the Federal
Government.

The Speaker said social media must be regulated because
“everything in life has to be regulated.”

The Speaker, who spoke on Channels TV programme A chat with
Young Nigerians on Sunday monitored by The Nation, said lawmakers
need to hear from all sides in the matter before arriving at a
position.

While throwing his weight behind regulation of social media, the
Speaker said: “The social media is the most potent weapon for good
and for evil. While we welcome the good, we must prepare over the
evil. You cannot use the idea of free speech to destroy me.

“Most democracies in the world today are making efforts to
regulate the social media and the National Assembly has been
considering regulating the social media for long. But each time the
issue comes up, Nigerians kick against it.

“It is something we need to do because we have a responsibility
to protect every single citizen in this country and that is what we
must do”.

He assured whatever position the National Assembly take would be
in the overall interest of the Nigerian people.

He said even though the Federal Government has accused twitter
of raising funds for #ENDSARS protest in 2020 and posing major
threat to national security, the House is asking basic questions,
which include likely information available to the government which
Nigerians are not privy to.

He said: “We are elected by the people to represent them and
ordinarily, we should be on their side. But this is not a beauty
contest. You must listen to all sides. Government says Twitter
poses threat to national security. What are the information
available to them that we are not privy to?

“They have also said that it is not about the President’s tweet
which was taken down but a mere coincidence. We are listening to
government because we have heard from the people.

“We agree that there is freedom of speech but the government is
saying that freedom is not absolute. Even at that, the freedom can
be protected but not at instance of the country.

“I am happy that twitter and government are already talking. At
the end, I hope that the issue will be resolved in the best way
possible”.