Jennifer Ugwueke
Leaders from the Northern part of the Country, including President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, Governors of the 19 Northern States, top Federal Government officials and Royal Fathers under the Northern Traditional Rulers Council led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III yesterday called for the censorship of social media practice in the Country.
The decision to get the Federal Government to censor the Country’s social media space was taken at a crucial meeting of the Northern leaders in Kaduna State.
The meeting also had in attendance the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu and other political leaders in the region.
A communiqué read by Plateau State Governor and Chairman Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF), Simon Lalong, after a closed door meeting noted that the Northern leaders took note of the devastating effect of the uncontrolled social media in spreading fake news.
They rejected and condemned what they described as the subversive actions of the #EndSARs protesters, noting that the superlative agitations and other change-regime actions outside the ballot box took advantage of the peaceful protests to push for their separative agenda.
The Northern leaders endorsed the indivisibility and oneness of the nation, just as stressed the need to keep a strict watch on the Federal Capital Territory to guide against unwarranted and destructive protests to safeguard critical assets of the nation.
Reading the communiqué, Lalong said the meeting appreciated the roles of traditional rulers in containing the menace of #EndSARs protests in the North and collectively agreed that traditional rulers be given formal roles in the governance architecture of the Country.
Lalong noted that the forum also commended religious leaders, including the Ulamas, JNI and CAN for their positive intervention in resolving the #EndSARs conflict, even as it further hailed the National Assembly and the presidency for being proactive in addressing the issues of #EndSARs protests across the Country.
The communique reads:” In furtherance to its resolution to further engage with the critical stakeholders of the North, the Northern States Governors Forum held a meeting today Monday, 2nd of November, 2020 at the Council Chamber of Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna.
“After extensive deliberations the following resolutions were arrived at: (the forum) appreciates the roles of Traditional rulers in containing the menace of #Endsars protests in the North; collectively agreed that traditional rulers be given formal roles in the governance architecture of the Country.
“The meeting rejects and condemns the subversive acțions of the #Endsars protesters. The superlative agitations and other change-regime actions outside the ballot Box soon took advantage of the peaceful protests to push for their separative agenda. The meeting endorsed the indivisibility, indissolubility and oneness of the Nation.
“The meeting took note of the devastating effect of the uncontrolled social media in spreading fake news. Therefore, it calls for major control mechanism and censorship of the social media practice in Nigeria. Meeting raises attention on the need to keep strict watch on the Federal Capital Territory to guide against unwarranted and destructives protests to safeguard critical assets of the Nation.
“Meeting commends the national Assembly and the Presidency in being proactive in addressing the issues of Endsars protests across the Country. Need to further push for amicable resolutions of ASUU strikes to enable students resume their studies.
“Meeting resolved that there is the need for regular meetings of this nature, calls for further engagement with other critical stakeholders such as Religious Leaders, Business Community, youths leaders etc”.
Accordingly, Lalong said the meeting approved the setting up of two major engagement committees namely committee on roles of traditional rulers’s membership, with the Emir of Lafiya as Chairman and two representatives from the National Assembly, one representative from each of the 3 zones and one from the Federal Executive Council.
The second committee is the committee on Youth and Civil Societies which has the Emir of Zazzau as Chairman, one representative each from the Geo Political Zones, one youth each for the Geo political Zones, one representative of women / girls, one each from Muslim and Christian Clerics, persons living with disability, business Community, and representative of the Inspector General of Police.
Lalong said the engagement committees are to commence work immediately.
The communiqué further while appreciating the role of religious leaders, such as the Ulamas, JNI and CAN for their positive interventions in resolving the Endsars conflicts, the meeting called “for collective effort in addressing the lingering challenges of the North e.g. Almajiri system, insecurity, illiteracy, poverty, etc”.
The meeting also commended the roles royal fathers in ensuring that the #Endsars protests did not escalate significantly in the North by adopting sentimental issues such as ethnicity and religion.
The leaders resolved to continuously engage royal fathers in addressing this challenge.
The communiqué noted: “Meeting noted and appreciated the far reaching efforts of Northern States Governors’ Forum in taking proactive measures to address the Endsars protest in the Country and the North in particular.
“Equally Forum notes with satisfaction the actions taken by the Governors to revive the economic fortunes of the region particularly during the post Covid-19 period.
“Forum appreciates the roles of the National Assembly in engaging the youths and other critical stakeholders of the Nation in resolving the Endsars conflicts. The Forum appreciated Mr. President and his Cabinet for the quick intervention in meeting the demands of the #Endsars protesters and resolved to give him the maximum support as he reels out measures to address the lingering challenges of youth unemployment, banditry and Boko Haram insurgency in the Country.
“The Forum also appreciates the roles of the youth for their response to the #Endsars, in curtailing the spread of hooliganism, thuggery and other separatist tendencies.
“Forum appreciates the major reforms going on in the Police Force and pledges to support Mr. President on this course. The Meeting resolves to support the Nigerian Police Force to serve the Country better and calls for the strengthening of trust between the people and the Police.
“The Meeting expressed concern over the low level involvement of relevant of stakeholders in the implementation programmes of Government and calls on the relevant Agencies to review implementation strategies to make for maximum impact and benefits”.
Governor Lalong further said the forum condemned attacks on persons and properties of especially persons living in other parts of the Country. Also condemned attacks and burning of places of worship in some parts of the Country in the name of Endsars protests”.
Meanwhile, the presidency has again expressed concern over circulation of fake news and misleading information occasioned by the EndSARS protests aimed at causing social discontent and disunity in the Country.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, stated this yesterday at a media parley with international journalists organized by presidential media team at the old Banquet Hall of the presidential villa.
Adesina condemned what he described as deliberate misinformation and incorrect reports by some international media outfits who reported the protests in some part of the Country.
He explained that the meeting was part of the ongoing critical engagements with both local and international media aimed at ensuring better understanding of events in the Country.
He said, “There have been different kinds of reportage, particularly from the international media, some informed; some not quite informed and some downright incorrect.
“We just felt it was necessary to invite these international journalists so that we can share perspectives with them and it can condition their reportage positively, because if they have background information I don’t think journalists will set out deliberately to skew reports.
“At times, their reports end up being skewed because they do not have enough information.
“So, that is why we held this meeting so that the necessary background information that they can condition their reportage.
“There should be no end to engagements. We should continue to engage with local journalists and engage with international journalists.
“Engagement should be a continuous process because through engagements we can forge better understanding”.
In his remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, expressed hope that the presidency would sustain the media engagements for the general good of the society