By Amgbare Ekaunkumo,Yenagoa
Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Chief Collins Cocodia, has described as satanic and insensitive, calls by the Northern Governors Forum, and other stakeholders, to regulate the use of Social Media, by Nigerians.
This is as he canvassed for the strengthening of institutions as a panacea for addressing issues relating to libel or abuses of human rights on the media space, rather than using political offices to oppress the citizenry.
Chief Cocodia who was speaking as a guest on the state owned radio station, Glory 97. FM, on a program tagged, Conference 971, on Thursday.
He questioned the rationale behind the decision of the Northern Governors Forum, for supporting the regulation of social media usage in the Country, despite several backlash it had received from Nigerians, adding that the social media is mostly used by youths from the South, much more than those of the North, hence, any form of restriction would have a negative effect on their way of life.
“For me the call from the Northern Governors Forum is selfish and unnecessary. Why are they calling for the regulation of the social media, after they used the same tool to spread lies and propaganda against the former administration. Now its hunting them, and they want to stop it, its wrong, because everyone deserve freedom of expression”.
According to him, the Nigerian courts and other institutions should be strengthened so that Nigerians who feel slighted will seek justice without fear or intimidation by those at the upper class in the society.
“If institutions are strong, people will be free to seek justice when their rights have been infringed on, whether young or old, rich or poor, and it will go along way to curb the rants or hate speeches on social media”.
“But the truth is there are several laws already existing, but how many persons are using them. Our courts are not helping too, because a situation where you take a case to court and it takes up to two to three years before its settled, what happens?
The S.A Political further urged Governors from the Southern region to be proactive and stand against the shenanigans of their Northern counterpart, who are bent on trampling the rights of Nigerians for selfish means.
Chief Collins Cocodia was a guest alongside a legal practitioner, Collins Bolegha, and a Political analyst, Dengiyefa Angalapu, at the program.
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