Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has noted that the suspension of Twitter’s operations in the country by the Federal Government may take a negative toll on businesses and services.
Governor Makinde further stressed that the decision might affect investors’ confidence in the country.
As has a strong user of Twitter app, the governor raised the concern in a statement which he signed and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the state capital on Saturday.
The statement read that “Twitter has become the platform for young people and, indeed, all Nigerians to exercise their fundamental right to express and publish an opinion.”
It noted that lots of businesses and services were promoted and influenced by the Nigerian youths on the platform, adding, “It has become imperative for me to release a statement regarding the suspension of Twitter’s operations in Nigeria by the Federal Government.
“As leaders, we should go beyond emotional reactions to issues and think about how our actions will affect the people we lead and our international ratings socially and economically.
“Twitter has become the platform for young people and indeed all Nigerians to exercise their fundamental right to express and publish an opinion. They use the platform to complain, argue and give feedback to government and its agencies who in turn, use these to improve policies. This is a fundamental point that should be kept in mind as we debate the necessity of this suspension.
“We should also remember that Twitter has gone beyond a source of communication for many of our hardworking youths in Nigeria. It has become a source of livelihood for many irrespective of their political affiliations or religious leanings.
Nigerian youths and digital communications organisations earn a living from being able to use the platform to post communications on behalf of their clients.
“Others who may not have physical stores also rely on Twitter to give visibility to their products and services.
“Furthermore, I believe the Federal Government should be actively interested in how certain policies and actions will affect investors’ confidence. I, therefore, use this medium to appeal to the Federal Government to reverse this suspension for the greater good of Nigerians.”
