One would naturally wonder why the writer choose to go with this kind of heading at a time like this when there are many disgruntled Nigerians youths trending a hashtag #NoToSocialMediaBill which the legislative arm of Nigerian government is looking at passing and make it a law to criminalize any frivolity and libel on Social Media.
Let us critically look at the root cause that necessitated the Senate to take the option of sanitizing Nigerian Social Media, of course Nigeria is a country that practices democracy since the handing over of power from the military to civilian government in 1999 when ex-Head of state General Abdusalam Abubakar passed power to another military man in civilian Agbada (General Obasanjo).
From my knowledge, their can’t be a smoke without fire no matter how little the fire may be, let us look at past events since the death of Ex-President Yar’Adua, his Vice Goodluck Jonathan became president of Nigeria in 2011 after another election was conducted and since that time social media has been so popular in use by Nigerian people most especially the youths.
President Jonathan became a victim of circumstance in the hands of oppositions especially the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) now merged with other parties to form All Progressive Congress (APC) just because they wanted to dethrone him from power. APC is a party that knows how to explore media, including TV, RADIO, PRINT and Social Media to advance their campaign, messages, propaganda and other information they want to sell to millions of Nigerians. APC quickly identified some few Nigerian Blogs such as Sahara Reporters, Premium Times, Omojuwa blogs and some other individuals who pride themselves as social media influencers such as Kayode Ogundamisi, Tolu Ogunlesi and host of others to do the hatchet jobs for them.
The Social media wahala started when former President Jonathan made a move to remove fuel subsidy in 2011/2012, the ruling party now (APC) mobilized youths, CSO and Labor congress against the then administration by inciting Nigerians against them that PDP/Jonathan’s government want to suffer Nigerians, they even went to the extent of sponsoring and organizing protests, rallies and carnivals in Ojota Lagos to lock the country down as they were able to get NLC to declare a total strike actions that paralyzed the nation’s economy until Jonathan stopped his plan to remove fuel subsidy, after the president was able to contain the protest and violence, as if that was not enough, just to paint PDP/Jonathan’s Government a bad and corrupt government, APC mobilized their media machinery to continue blackmailing of Jonathans administration. They used Print Media, Radio and TV stations in Lagos and other part of the country to advance their cause, shortly, new media was introduced to join the plot and Sahara Reporters, other names such as the once mentioned above began to Tweet, Retweet anything anti-Jonathan and post on facebook with other social media platforms to mislead gullible Nigerians on social media on a daily basis in favor of the then oppositions ACN. (APC), even some notable personalities such as Dele Momodu joined them in doing this.
Nigeria internet was not in any way gagged by Jonathan administrations, Jonathan was called all sort of names by the people who are not even qualify to clean his shoes not to talk of standing face to face to talk to him. Omojuwa and his ilk called Jonathan a pig and APC fans were very excited to retweet the bile he tweeted, Ogundamisi will twist facts to suite his own purpose and had tried on many occasions to use social media to cause violence between the Igbo and Hausas.
Sahara Reporters is a habitual liar who specializes in breaking fake news, libel and blackmail against politicians in Nigeria probably those politicians who are in opposition to their sponsors or promoters. Nigerian people are known too quick to react on impulse to FAKE NEWS such as those coming from Sahara Reporters, Omojuwa, Ogundamisi and their kinds.
One must be very careful at this point on how to support or go against the plans of the Federal Government through the Senate to sanitize how its citizens use the social media in Nigeria, it is a known fact to all and sundry that the APC uses this cyber characters to peddle lies, propaganda and misinformed the Nigerian populace pre-2015 general elections and the plan worked very perfectly, APC were able to use them to gain cheap popularity and push all kind of narratives on social media and now the same APC is afraid that if these guys are not quickly checked they may turn out to be uncontrollable monsters in their neck just like those who were supporting BOKO HARAM morally to gain power, we all know the effect now.
Let us also look back at how the now governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was brandishing all kinds of allegations and lie on social media against Jonathan, ministers and his friends, he made sure he filled the heart of Nigerians with a lot of hatred. In fact he posted many fictitious and outrageous figures on government’s expenditure that will naturally prompt anger amongst Nigerians, He posted severally that Jonathan was the promoter and brain behind the deadly Boko haram on local and international media, no kind of hatred el-rufai and his influencers/amplifiers did not circulate on social media. Owing to the events of the past many Nigerians are still not learning a jack shit, Senator Ben Bruce will stay on Social media for almost 24 hours preaching #CommonSense but many people instead of taking the message, and they turn to attack both the message and the messenger. This is why you must blame yourself for Social Media clamp down, long time ago you refused to use your common sense in either calming down before you react to nonsense Sahara Reporter, Omojuwa, Ogundamisi are posting to social media but because you want them to Retweet and give you free publicity, you freely join them in amplifying lies and propaganda, the reality is now dawn on all of us.
This Change government is wise and does not want to go down the way social media contributed to the downfall of Jonathan’s administration, APC are principal actors in the whole thing that happened to Jonathan and again they know the kind of people they used, they are aware that they must keep them in check now or have themselves to be blamed as soon as possible. One will imagine that if Nigerians can believe sahara reporter who forged Senator Bukola Saraki’s British passport just to blackmail him during his travail at the CCT, then don’t be surprise that Nigerians can believe anything. Nigerian Journalism is dead since the advent of social media, Media Houses now rely solely on all the junks posted on social media to form their breaking news and this is worrisome, after Jonathan’s electoral defeat to the APC, the people APC used came up with another narrative that “We used the Social Media to finish him”, now APC is in power, do you think they will allow same social media to bring them down? The answer is certainly A NO’.
Many outrageous allegations had circulated on social media, we remembered how Senator Stella Odua was accused, blackmailed and mobbed on Social media for stealing monies in the bullet proof car saga, the same set of people were on social media not long ago to defend former governor of Lagos Fashola when he was accused of stealing and awarding outrageous contract just to collect kick back. The social media in Nigeria is polluted and it needs urgent sanitations.
Sahara Reporter is just trying to incite Nigerians against the Senate and people must be careful not to allow themselves to be used by Sahara Reporters to remain in business of blackmail and Propaganda. The Senate only proposes a bill that will Jail anyone caught in the act of Social Media Frivolities, Libel and misinformation on Social Media, since the trade in stock of Sahara Reporter, Omojuwa, Ogundamisi and their ilk are lies, propaganda and misinformation this is why they are now mobilizing people to help them trend #NoToSocialMediaBill, if you are not guilty of any wrong doing on social media the government will not jail you and that will put a stop to all the nonsense that happens on social media. No one can ever stop Citizens from demanding good governance from elected government at all level no matter the law or any bill, in my own opinion I want people to critically read the proposed bill before reacting or joining any fruitless meetings, protests or rallies.
The worst of it all is the daily brainwash and lies APC and its agents peddle on social media is that PDP ruined Nigeria for 16 years, cant you think and asked them questions that Atiku, Amaechi, Sylvia, Elrufai, Obasanjo, Tambuwal, Oby Ezeks and over 75% constituent of APC now were principal actors in PDP 16 years reference they point to on a daily basis to spite Jonathan and opposition PDP. #THINK???? #YouNeedCommomSense.
What majority of Nigerian youths needs is #CommonSense, Common Sense is really not common in Nigeria, I want to remind you of the hashtag #30PercentOrNothing that was in vogue pre-elections where youths were demanding inclusion and participation in government, where and how does it end? The same way former Minister of Education Madam Oby Ezeks under the PDP Obasanjo’s admin took the #BringBackOurGirls campaign upon herself and nothing or no noise after Jonathan Lost and Buhari emerged. Too many funny things happened in Nigeria and many times you are used by this people to achieve their aims and desires and later dump you. Enough is for the WISE!!!.
Adelaja Adeoye is a blogger and social/political commentator who writes from Lagos Nigeria.