By Ismail Auwal
Nigerians on Twitter take a swipe on Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, for violating the ban the Federal Government placed on social media platform, Twitter.
El-Rufai on Thursday caught the attention of Nigerians after re-tweeting pictures of the ongoing Murtala Square construction project by Ronchess Global Plc.
The Governor quickly came under attack by Nigerians that are accessing the platform using Virtual Private Network(VPN), who expressed surprise at the fact that a public servant of that caliber could disrespect the government’s decision.
Popular human rights activist, Aisha Yesufu, was among those who called out the Governor for the hypocrisy of using the platform outside the country, “while the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), an All Progressive Congress member like himself” had banned the use of Twitter in Nigeria.
“You really should be absolutely and disgustingly ashamed of yourself @elrufai,” she wrote.
“You are going outside to enjoy the very basic thing a government you are part of have denied the people. While enjoying Twitter without VPN, you also enjoy the security you have denied your people.”
Another Twitter user, @ogbuebunu, quoting her tweet, also said, “shamelessness without a pair. Tweeting under the pretence of being outside the country shows moral bankruptcy. One would expect he would stand on a high ground since it was his party that banned Twitter. Well, he is still a Nigerian politician. Zero integrity.”
Nigerian Government, five months ago, suspended the application operation in the country in response to Twitter deleting a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The social media platform deemed the President’s tweet as inciting violence.
The government said it would have none of Twitter’s actions to undermine the “corporate existence” of Nigeria and its meddling in the country’s internal affairs.
The Twitter ban is a step towards further social media regulation, according to the statement released by Nigeria’s ministry of information.
