New Information Minister says Federal government has no plans to censor social media

According to various reports, the newly appointed Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has stated that the Federal Government has no intention whatsoever to stifle social media and uphold the rights of the citizens to free speech.

Mohammed made this know at a meeting with social media influencers on Tuesday.

“Let me assure you that the Federal Government does not intend to stifle free speech or abridge the rights of Nigerians to air their views freely,” Mohammed said.

According to TechCabal, Mohammed acknowledged the influence of social media influencers, especially bloggers, encouraging self-regulation as opposed to government regulation.

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“The kind of debate that is being carried out on the Social Media today is exploiting the fault lines in our national unity. It is adding fuel to some low-intensity fires and, if left unchecked, could conflagrate and consume all of us,” the minister said.

Internet censorship is one of the major issues in the country. Current president Muhammadu Buhari has a track record of human rights violation and a few weeks ago, the legislature made a move to censor Internet porn.