The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has
slammed the Canadian government and social media giant, Twitter, over the
truckers protest against COVID-19 restrictions in Canada.
Recall that during the #EndSARS protest against police
brutality and bad governance that took place in Nigeria in October 2020, the
Canadian government condemned the actions taken to quell it.
Tweeting through @CanadaFP, it said, “Canada is deeply
concerned about the excessive use of force during the ongoing protests in
#Nigeria. Those responsible for #HumanRights violations and abuse must be held
accountable.”
Likening the #EndSARS protest to the truckers protest in
Canada, Mohammed accused Twitter and the West of double standards in the way
they perceive the violent protesters in their region and those in Nigeria.
In a news briefing on Sunday, the Minister said “the
Canadian protesters, who have blockaded roads and resorted to inconveniencing
others, have been branded as terrorists or insurrectionists and subjected to a
number of clampdowns by government and private organisations.”
He noted that the crowdfunding company GoFundMe has shut
down the campaign to raise funds for the truckers, after they raised over $10
million, adding that Twitter has suspended the truckers account while the
Ontario government has frozen access to millions of dollars donated through
online fundraising platform GiveSendGo to the protesters.
“Jim Watson, the Mayor of Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, has
also declared a state of emergency in the city in response, saying the protests
posed a threat to residents’ safety,” Mohammed said.
He continued, “Recall, gentlemen, that during the EndSARS
protest, which culminated in the blockage of public roads and massive
destruction of government and private property, Canada was one of the countries
that spoke out in support of the protesters.
“Recall also that Twitter actively supported the EndSars
protesters and even helped them to raise fund while GoFundMe was used to raise
funds for the protests.”
According to Mohammed, these are the same entities “that are
now rushing to distance themselves from the protesters in Canada and even
denying them the use of their platforms.
“This is similar to what played out during the January 6th
2021 insurrection at the US Capitol In Washington, D.C. where those involved
are either still being investigated or have been charged to court. I don’t
blame them. Nobody wants their country destroyed under the guise of protests.”
He, however, stated that the essence of the news briefing
was not to gloat over the unfortunate development in Canada.
“Don’t misunderstand this intervention. We are not gloating
over the unfortunate development in Canada. But we are only calling attention
to the double standards involved in the way protesters deemed to be violent are
perceived in Nigeria and in the West.
“Those who referred to the hoodlums who destroyed public and
private property in Nigeria under the guise of EndSARS as peaceful protesters
have tagged similar protesters in their own countries as insurrectionists and
terrorists. This glaring double standard should not be lost on all Nigerians.
“We have always said that you must have a country before you
can even enjoy the freedoms guaranteed by your country’s constitution. If there
is no Nigeria, no one will be talking of freedom of expression or freedom of
association and the likes.
“This realisation explains why every country goes the extra
mile to protect and preserve itself. And this also explains why we have
continued to insist on the regulation of social media to ensure responsible
content. In this area, I can confidently say we are far ahead of most countries
in the world, who have now realized that social media must be regulated in the
interest of their own people.
“In this regard, our successful negotiation with Twitter to
fashion out measures to ensure responsible use of that platform which, by the
way, will also apply to other social media platforms, has made us a global
trailblazer in efforts to prevent harmful content from social media platforms
“Gentlemen, we must not allow anyone to destroy our country
under the guise of protest or unbridled freedoms. We all must put Nigeria first
at all times,” he concluded.
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