They made this known in a communique issued after a meeting held with representatives from the Presidency.
Governors in the South-West region of Nigeria along with traditional rulers from the geo-political zone, have joined the Northern Governors’ Forum in supporting the government's drive to regulate social media.
They made this known in a communique issued after a meeting held with representatives from the Presidency.
“We recognise the damaging and negative impact of fake/false news and worry about its destructive and dangerous potency of fake news. We call on the Federal Government to use the instrumentality of existing laws and those regulations bench-marked from other countries to provide safeguards against the spread of fake news. 2015 Cyber Act will also be fully used,” the statement reads in part.
“Federal Government should ensure that technology is used effectively for the advancement of the Nigerian security and not its destruction by working with the technology cum social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. The regime of checks and gatekeeping should be fully employed,” it added.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, and ministers from the region represented the presidency at the meeting attended by all six governors from the geo-political zone.
The Nigerian Government, represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, on Saturday begged governors from the South-East to back the regulation of social media as well.
Nigerians have accused the government of being insincere with their intent to reform the police and end bad governance in the country.