The Federal Government has debunked reports being circulated in the media that it gave conditions to be met before the ban on Twitter can be lifted.
The statement was issued by the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye on Monday evening.
Recall that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama gave the condition when he met with envoys from the United Kingdom, United States, and others to clarify issues surrounding the Twitter ban.
Onyeama was quoted as the “condition (for lifting the ban) would be a responsible use of the social media and that really has to be it.”
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In a volte-face, the same ministry through its spokesman, Nwonye, has claimed that the minister was misquoted.
He reiterated that Onyeama did not at any point given any condition to lifting the Twitter suspension.
“Onyeama was misquoted as giving conditions for lifting the Twitter suspension. The Honourable Minister after a meeting with some Heads of Diplomatic Missions resident in Nigeria was quoted to have said that ‘Twitter’s operations in Nigeria will be restored only if the platform can be used responsibly.’
“This statement by the minister has been quoted out of context. Contrary to the publications, the minister was speaking generally about the responsibilities that go with freedom of speech, stating that platforms that have the power to instantly disseminate information among billions of people have the added responsibility to exercise that power responsibly.
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“The Ministry wishes to state categorically that the Minister did not give any conditions regarding lifting the Twitter suspension,” he said.
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