Reps Summons Lai Mohammed Over Twitter Ban

The Nigerian House of Representatives has summoned the Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed over the recent suspension of Twitter’s activities in Nigeria.

Last week, the federal government through the ministry of information ordered a suspension of Twitter’s operations in Nigeria over the platform’s removal of a ‘genocidal’ threat President Muhammadu Buhari posted on his handle.

At a sitting on Tuesday, the House issued a directive to its committees on communication, information and culture, national security/intelligence, and Justice to immediately investigate the suspension of the microblogging site.

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During the plenary, the speaker of the house, Femi Gbajabiamila said; “The House of Representatives recognises that Twitter, like other social media networks, is an important tool for communication and commerce in Nigeria, particularly amongst the younger generation who have used these networks for enterprise and innovation with great success”.

“It is in service of our obligations under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and our moral duty to the Nigerian people, that the leadership of the House has decided to mandate the House Committees on Communication, Justice, Information, and Culture, and National Security and Intelligence to immediately commence an investigation to determine the circumstances of the decision by the Federal Government of Nigeria to suspend the operations of Twitter in Nigeria, and the legal authority for the ban on the operations of Twitter in Nigeria.”

He also ordered the committees to invite Lai Mohammed to brief the house on the objectives of the suspension.

“The Committees are additionally mandated to invite the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to brief the House of Representatives on the objectives, intent, and duration of the suspension on the operations of Twitter in Nigeria, and to report to the House within ten days.”