Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, is trending on X [formerly Twitter] for all the wrong reasons.
Nigerians on the social media space are concerned that the former Speaker believes that social media [in Nigeria] has become a societal menace and must be regulated.
Gbajabiamila made the observation while representing President Bola Tinubu at the public presentation of a book, Nigerian Public Discourse: The Interplay of Empirical Evidence and Hyperbole, written by a former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, in Lagos.
“The social media has become a societal menace and must be regulated. As many people do not understand that once the ‘send button’ is hit, there is a potential to reach millions of people around the world, which is capable of causing a great danger, not just in the society but even unintended consequences to the individuals that are receiving information which may include security of life,” a statement released by Tunde Alao, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Media), Office of the Lagos State Deputy Governor, quoted Gbajabiamila as saying.
It may be recalled that, last October, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, “to reject the recently reintroduced social media regulation bill.”
SERAP noted that the passage of the bill “would unduly restrict the rights to freedom of expression and privacy,” and urged Tinubu’s administration to stop its efforts to compel technological firms like Google and YouTube to restrict such “fundamental human rights.”
Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila seems to have stirred the hornet’s nest and Nigerians on X have not failed to respond to what they consider a threat to free speech. See the reactions:
Every day I say I won’t talk about politics, but every day I wake up to one annoying stunt from the APC.
So now Femi wants to regulate the same social media the APC used as a tool to destroy Goodluck Jonathan?
And what exactly is the role of Femi Gbajabiamila, is he aware he’s…
— SportsDokita (Odogwu ☝️) (@Sports_Doctor2) February 9, 2024
Breaking news: Social media has become a societal menace and must be regulated
— Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of StaffAre we going back to the age of VPN?🤌🏽 pic.twitter.com/flGV7RE14c
— 𝗦𝗶𝗿. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗿. 𝗔.𝗬 🦅 (@A_Y_Rafindadi) February 9, 2024
Bola Tinubu and Femi Gbajabiamila don’t want Social Media, so why don’t they just delete their accounts and leave it for the rest of us?
Is social media the cause of Insecurity?
Is social media the reason for Poverty?
Did social media trigger their Corruption and Embezzlement?! pic.twitter.com/waRPXV6JTf— Nejeeb Bello Oyarese (@NejeebBello) February 9, 2024
Femi Gbajabiamila and his colleagues are making plans on regulating the social media so that the world won’t see the stealing, looting of public funds and scam going on in our country. But they shall be revolted by the people 💪. pic.twitter.com/DDT7Xvp3Fe
— Mc_pilot7 (@McPilot7) February 9, 2024
Any attempt at social media siege will be FULLY RESISTED.
It is quite painful and disturbing that a former Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila will speak in this manner.
Nigeria already have adequate laws that deals with issues around personal injury or infractions using social media.… pic.twitter.com/TSRB3yZdE3
— Emma ik Umeh (Tcee )🇳🇬 (@emmaikumeh) February 9, 2024
