Social media and national integrity

By Joseph Edgar…

The military has just announced that it has or, should I say, will start monitoring social media in its attempt at stamping out the incidences of hate speeches and other unpatriotic activities which continue to fuel national strife and threaten the continuous unity of the nation

As usual, human rights bodies have screamed and kicked against this, claiming that it limits fundamental human rights as enshrined in the constitution amongst other civil liberties infringement this would cause.

In trying to throw up a balanced view on this, I will first state point blank that no responsible government, including the United States which is the bastion of civil liberties and democracy, allows an unfettered use of the internet and social media. Regulation, supervision and close watch of interactions and usage of the internet by heavily regulated government agencies remains a potent weapon in the fight against international terrorism. So for Nigeria, we should not really be bothered by this action which I personally feel is even coming a bit too late.

For some time now, observers have been watching with dismay at how some forces have been using the internet and indeed social media to spread division and bigotry in our land. This has succeeded in fracturing the fragile unity we achieved as nation immediately after the civil war. Today, the cries of ethnic separatists, fuelled by social media messages with deep penetrative abilities, remain the order of the day. There is no day that you do not get vile speeches against another ethnic group being pushed out on social media and its potency is such that they generate debate that are fuelled with suspicion and unenlightened positions. In a country where the illiteracy rate is high, ability to see issues in a balanced manner remains shuttered.

Read also: Education: Our Take in Osun

It is all the more painful when you consider the fact that it has been reported that pornography, entertainment and fashion are the driving forces towards the internet by the over 60m daily Nigerian users. You begin to see the enormity of the situation and the need for a certain type of censor. What this means in essence is the fact that it is mostly what I want to call the ‘retail crowd’ that hibernate social media. The unlettered who are driven by the sheer lust and immediate sexual gratification that porn gives that you mostly find on the internet and as they surf the web seeking their guilty pleasures, they are hit by unsolicited hate messages. for example their kinsmen have just been butchered in the far north or how their leaders are being discriminated upon at the National Assembly. This festers in their minds and you begin to see the seeds of hatred grow and take hold of their illiterate minds.

To better understand this and also see the damage this has done in our national psyche, just go to the comment section of any posts on issues of national discourse the logic you see there will make you weep for Nigeria. This situation some forces have identified and have taken advantage of by throwing into this deep sea of ignorance the seeds of national discomfort.

No responsible government will fold its hands and watch the mass mobilization of its people using social media by forces who do not mean well for the country.

However, much as we see a clear and definite reason for this censor by the military, we must attempt to strike a balance and go after this assignment with a high level of caution and responsibility. Some watchers have compared this to Buhari’sdraconian Decree 4 which limited free speech and truly, the military authorities whether in their history or posturing do not give Nigerians the confidence that they will act responsibly in this task. The possibility of arbitrariness remains very high and this pushes the need to strengthen the judiciary as a firm bulwark against military despotism under the guise of fighting terrorism and hate speech on the internet.

This issue is very sensitive as in my minds eye, there is no real definition of hate speech. The meanings and interpretation are fluid and depending on one’s colouration could mean different things to different people, hence the need for a high level of responsibility by the authorities. A strident criticism like the type FFK and Fayose are wont to give could be mistaken for hate speech by authorities while to others it would be viewed as perfect opposing views aimed at keeping government on its toes. The quite obvious litany of those pushing terrorist and ethnic sabre ranting online would be the worse for it as it would, if perfectly executed, limit its mobilization and recruitment potentials.

My take is that, instead of making monitoring the only raison d etre for the seeming military incursion into the social media terrain, they should also seek to use social media as their own tool for social mobilization, engendering debate, pushing their own position and engaging society with a view to getting the civil populace understand better their duty and role in society thereby forging better civil military relations.

I support a strategic, responsible and mature incursion by the authorities into the world of social media in its bid to curb the seeming growing menace of ethnic revisionists as we continue to build national cohesion.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now