Three weeks after forming a committee to review the Twitter ban, Nigeria’s House of Representatives has completed its probe and issued recommendations. It did not, however, remark on the lifting of the prohibition.
On June 8, 2021, the Joint House Committee on Communication, Justice, Information and Culture, as well as National Security and Intelligence, was established to look into the circumstances surrounding the ban. It was also to determine the ban’s legal foundation.
The panel was supposed to report on its findings ten days after it was formed. However, the findings were finally scheduled for House consideration on July 1, 2021.
The Committee highlighted in the report that the Nigerian government had already began negotiations with Twitter, emphasizing the benefits and drawbacks of social media.
It was suggested that “time be granted for the Federal Government of Nigeria and Twitter to join into the already ongoing conversation process, in order to create room for an acceptable settlement on the matter.”
The panel also requested that the government take into account the harmful impact that the suspension of Twitter has had on Nigerians who rely on the network for their livelihood.
The Committee warned the government to better clarify its goals to Nigerians while also emphasizing that freedom of expression is not an absolute right. While liberty must always be safeguarded, it must also be weighed alongside national security concerns.
On some matters, the Committee mirrored remarks made by Speaker of the House Femi Gbajabiamila on the day it was formed.
The microblogging site was shut down after a tweet from Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, was removed for breaking its terms of service.
The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) ordered media outlets to stop using Twitter indefinitely as a result. Also, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, ordered the arrest of persons found using the platform after the ban.
Recall that on June 22, 2021, the ECOWAS Court barred the Nigerian government from putting new restrictions on Twitter. On July 6, 2021, the case will be heard. To get over the prohibition, Nigerians have resorted to using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). As we’ve seen, this is a practice with far-reaching effects.
While Nigerians wait for answers, it’s worth noting that when the Committee was formed, Gbajabiamila stated that the report will guide the House of Representatives’ next steps.
Legislative bodies vote on reports as soon as they are placed before the House, as is customary. This situation, however, appears to be unique.
