Indications have emerged that Leader of the Concerned Nigeria group supported social media regulation in the last dispensation.
Adejanju, who has been championing opposition against the move by the President Muhammdu Buhari-led government to regulate the use of the social media.
Reacting to the statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed that the government would not go back on plans to regulate social media activities, Adeyanju said, “We reject the attempt to censor social media in Nigeria. This is a tyrannical legislation.
“We will mobilise Nigerians against the Anti Social Media Bill just reintroduced in the National Assembly. We killed it before & we must kill it once again. This is an assault on Freedom of Expression enshrined in Section 39 of Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Anti Social Media Bill will affect everyone. It will take away our freedom of expression including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without government interference.”
However, the controversial activist in a document dated July 7, 2014, obtained by our correspondent, had proposed the regulation of social media to the Department of State Services (DSS) raising concerns over “the dangerous trend of New Media (social media) in Nigeria, especially Twitter.”
“Nigeria over the years has never been this FREE before; so now social media pose a new THREAT not just to National Security but also our UNITY since there is no LAW regulating the space.
“It is just a FREE space where anyone carryout various campaigns like public incitement, treasonable felony, and even demoralising and maligning our security agencies.”
Continuing, he said, “These will be the benefits of having a Twitter account for the service: Since Twitter delivers Instant Messaging: Millions of Nigerians on the platform can give useful information to the DDD without fear. Everyone with useful information can easily tweet at bye DSS handles in seconds. The Twitter handle of the DSS will encourage Tweets to volunteer information either through a Tweet or Direct Message and assure them of confidentiality.
“Your presence will instantly bring sanity to the social media platform because everyone who has been reckless in information sharing will become careful since there is now an invincible eye now on the platform reading all their tweets.
“You can also use this medium to gather data and information covertly. Your handle should also once in a while issue cautionary warning to any author/media house of inflammatory write-ups or agitations and those who compromise national security.”
