Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, has warned Nigerians abroad to desist from using social media from destabilising the country.
Buhari, who described the world as a global village, cautioned Nigerians in the Diaspora against the use of social media to insult and incite from a safe and anonymous distance and urged them to always promote the country’s unity.
This was noted in a statement by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, on Thursday.
“The world is a global village and technology has shrunk the world even more. Although you reside beyond Nigeria’s boundaries, you can engage easily with the country. In fact, we see the impact of that engagement clearly on social media.
“This platform has empowered Nigerians in the Diaspora and given you great influence. As we have seen, however, social media can be a force for good as well as a force for evil.
“Many countries, including our own, have had to take strong measures against some social media platforms to curb their excesses and prevent them from destabilizing our societies.
“I, therefore, call upon you to use social media responsibly. We all want the best for our country and people, so let us strive to build, unite and prosper our nation and people and not to insult and incite from a safe and anonymous distance,” Buhari was quoted as saying on Wednesday night in Lisbon, Portugal.
The President also assured that his administration will not interfere with the work of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), so as to ensure the next general elections are free and fair.
“We also look forward to a smooth transition to the next government. As I have said before, our administration will not compromise on doing the right things and the welfare of Nigerians, home and abroad,” the President said.
Buhari’s government is known for being critical of freedom of speech and clamping down on known critics of the government.
From June 5, 2021, to January 13, 2022, Buhari’s government officially banned Twitter operations in Nigeria, which restricted the social media company from operating in the country.
