"In the last six months, at least five accounts have been opened in the governor’s name. The media office has made frantic efforts like sending them direct messages (DMs) to these accounts, particularly one of such accounts that have generated more than 2,000 followers."
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, says he is willing to negotiate
with some Twitter and Facebook users who are using his name on their
Twitter handles but warns that they have three days (from today) to
come forward to negotiate with him.
Zulum’s special adviser on public relations and strategy said in a
statement on Thursday (today) morning, "While Governor Babagana Umara
Zulum recognizes and appreciates those who make selfless efforts to
promote the activities of his administration through different media
platforms that include a microblogging and social networking site,
Twitter, the manner in which some individuals or groups have gone
about creating and operating unauthorized personal accounts for the
governor, is totally unacceptable.
"In the last six months, at least five accounts have been opened in
the governor’s name. The media office has made frantic efforts like
sending them direct messages (DMs) to these accounts, particularly one
of such accounts that have generated more than 2,000 followers.
"However, the operators of these unauthorized accounts have refused to
identify themselves or come forward for discussions. At the moment,
the governor has one authorized official account which is @GovBorno.
There is also a recently created personal handle that is already
growing followers.
"However, in order not to embarrass operators of any of the multiple
unauthorized accounts, there will be a three-day delay in announcing
the name of the recently created authorized personal account.
"The delay is to give three days' room to operators of existing
multiple accounts to either close these accounts or in the case of the
one with substantial followers, come forward for negotiations. The
negotiations will, of course, include a critical review of the kinds
of content shared by the account since it was created, the persons
being followed by the account and those following it to possibly reach
a win-win resolution."
The statement noted further, "Operators of any of the multiple
accounts can, within three days, use the same unauthorized accounts to
send Direct Messages (DM) to any of the following twitter accounts:
@GovBorno, @SpokesmanBornoG or @Bundi58. Although Emails may as a last
option, be sent to [email protected] sending DM’s from the
unauthorized accounts would be the best way to indicate that the
sender exercises password control over the account.
”The DM’s should contain the identity of those sending the messages
with the request for meeting at a venue and time that is convenient
for both parties."