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Twitter Suspension Well Founded in Law – Lai Mohammed
Barely 24 hours after the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) court restrained Nigeria from prosecuting providers and users of Twitter, the Federal Government said its decision to suspend the activities was under the ambit of the law and has not breached citizens’ rights.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in a presentation to the House of Representatives Joint Committee on the Suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, that the suspension “is well founded in law”.
In the presentation, a copy which was made available, the minister contended that Twitter activity in the country was in violation of public interest and negate some provisions of Terrorism Act as well as Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).
The minister said Twitter suspension was in line with national and international laws, which Nigeria derived the “power to regulate its cyber space and give all necessary orders designating any computer system, network or application as forming part of its national infrastructure”.
Mohammed, a lawyer, contended the freedom of expression guaranteed in Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution is not absolute.
He explained that Section 49 of the same Constitution permits restrictions of civil liberties in the public interest stressing, “public Interest takes precedent over individual interest’’.
“The operations of Twitter in the Nigerian social space are not legally permissible when it is used in airing of information that endangers the life and security of the majority of citizens of Nigeria.
“This is in light of the fact that the platform affords IPOB, an organisation already proscribed by the Federal High Court, to champion its seditious and terrorist based activities
“The principles of law are clear on the exercise of personal human rights in the face of national security threats which affects the larger citizen,’’ he said.
The minister also argued that the federal government is empowered to take all reasonable steps to defend its cyber space where it perceives or finds that a Cyber-crime, is threatened to be committed or has been committed.
He said both national and international statutes empower the federal government to regulate and promote the security of the Nigerian cyber space, including but not limited to organisation and user’s assets.
“Organisation and users’ assets include connected computing devices, personnel, infrastructure, applications, services and telecommunications systems.
“It also included the totality of transmitted and/or stored information within the Nigerian cyber-Space/environment including social media such as Twitter, Facebook…, applications, internet platforms, and cloud computing platforms,’’ he said.
Mohammed stressed that where a seditious act has been committed against the Federal Government through the Cyber Space the perpetrators shall be liable.
The minister noted that the rights to freedom of expression on the Twitter platform are qualified by the provisions of sections 5(1) and (2) of the Terrorism Act of 2011.
He said the sections provide that any person who directly or indirectly solicit or render support for commission of an act of terrorism commits an offence liable on conviction to not less than 20 years.
“This includes incitement to commit a terrorist act through the internet or any electronic means or through the use of printed materials or through the dissemination of terrorist information”.
Mohammed said the operation of Twitter as business entity in Nigeria without fulfilling the conditions precedent by registering with the Corporate Affairs Commission is illegal.
“CAMA, the primary law governing businesses in Nigeria provides that a foreign company must take necessary steps to obtain incorporation as a separate entity before engaging in any business.
“Until so incorporated, the foreign company shall not carry on business in Nigeria or exercise any powers of a registered company as provides in Section 78 (1) of CAMA, 2020.
“Hence, flowing from this background a foreign Company as Twitter cannot be clothed with the legitimate rights to operate as a company registered in Nigeria, as they are not licensed accordingly,’’ he said.
The minister said that the State Security Services (SSS) which provided the lawful basis for the suspension of Twitter, acted in line with its power of prevention and detection of any crime against the internal security of Nigeria.
He reiterated government position to the committee that the ban on the operation of the micro blogging platform, Twitter, was in the interest of the country.
Federal Government on June 4 suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the micro-blogging and social networking service, Twitter in Nigeria.
Mohammed who announced the suspension cited the persistent use of the platform for activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.
He said the Federal Government had also directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all Over the Top (OTT) and social media operations in the country.
Following the outcry that greeted the suspension by a section of Nigerians the House of Representatives had referred the case to the joint committee which in turn summoned the minister for interrogation.
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) has shutdown Oracle Business Ltd, belonging to former Governor Samuel Ortom for allegedly owing taxes to the tune of N93.5m.
The premises of Jagshu and Ubgechi Filling Stations were also shutdown over alleged N2.
1m and N2.1m tax defaults respectively in Makurdi.The tax defaulters operation was carried out at the weekend by the Acting Executive Chairman of Benue Internal Revenue Service, Sunday Odagba in company of the Board’s Secretary/Legal Adviser, Ushahemba Dekaa
The action followed an order from a State High Court sitting in Makurdi which mandated the Board to enforce the consequences of the default.
The BIRS Legal Adviser, Ushahemba Dekaa told journalists after sealing the premises of Oracle Business Ltd that the company defaulted in its obligations for payment of taxes for six years, hence the clamp down.
According to him, the board has been monitoring the tax of the company all these while and the company keep on going back and forth in relation to payment which they failed to do.
He said the board equally organized several meetings and engagements with the companies, yet no compliance even when BIRS were using soft approach to ensure that they paid their taxes and levies but all to no avail.
On his part, the Group Managing Director of Oracle Business, Chris Omiyi argued that the company got letters of tax evaluation totalling N138m. “We sent our tax consultant to them and the liability dropped to N38million.
“Even that amount was spurious but because we are peace-loving we agreed to pay the N38million. But there is still a dispute of N15million which we are to resolve in the office. They fixed a date for the resolution, we got there the people we deal with were not on seat.
“The issue is that you said a company owes tax and we have started paying what you said we owe. Whatever that is in dispute we bring it forward and if it is overruled then we pay that which is in dispute because we have paid all others.”
In his remark the BIRS Acting Chairman, Sunday Odangba stated Oracle Business and other affected companies failed in their obligations.
He explained that the board on several occasions served them demand notices which they did not object and they did not pay.
The Management of the University of Jos has commenced the construction of a 10-lane Olympic Size Swimming Pool ahead of the upcoming National Universities Games Association (NUGA).
Prof. Tanko Ishaya, the Vice Chancellor of the University disclosed this on Monday while handing over the project site to Kaplan Consults Ltd.
and Caniyota Ltd. , the firms handling the project.The NUGA games, to be hosted by the university, is scheduled to hold between April and May 2025.
Ishaya, who explained that the project was being funded with Internally Generated Revenue, said that the swimming pool is one of the key facilities needed toward a successful NUGA games.
“Once this project is completed, all the necessary sporting facilities required for us to host the best NUGA games will be in place.
“I am calling on the contractors to carry out this job within the 16-week specified period; we need a quality job as well.
“We will expect briefing on weekly basis on the progress of work because we want this facility to be ready at least three months before the competition,” he said.
Earlier, Mrs Halima Auta, the university’s Director of Physical Facilities, explained that the swimming pool, a view pavilion and changing rooms would be handled by Kaplan Consult Ltd., while the training pool, all procurement and installations would be done by Caniyota Ltd.
Responding on behalf of the Contractors, Mr Kinsley Nathaniel of Kaplan Consults Ltd., promised to deploy the expertise needed to execute the project to an international standard. (NAN)
Several commercial transport operators in Ilorin on Thursday stormed some major streets in the metropolis to protest the new hike in petrol pump price.
During the protest, they expressed their displeasure with the sudden price hike, with the action leading to untold hardship for thousands of commuters.
The protests which commenced on Thursday morning significantly disrupted the movement of commercial vehicles across the city.
This forced passengers to resolve to trekking to their destinations.
The protest was spearheaded by some operators of commercial tricycles and commercial motorcycle riders who blocked several major roads in the city.
The road blocks occurred at Taiwo Isale, Coca-Cola road Junction, Maraba, Gambari Road and Offa Garage, bringing traffic to a standstill for several hours.
Consequently, commuters faced severe delays as the protesters restricted vehicular movements, demanding immediate action to address the situation.
Jimoh Abubakar, a commercial tricycle operator who spoke with newsmen at Maraba, revealed that the protest was because of the sudden hike in fuel pump price.
Abubakar said the increase was unfair, adding that transporters hardly made profit due to money spent on fuel.
“In fact, when we were charging N50 per drop, it was more profitable than now. The hardship is too much, the government should help us,” he said.
Another tricycle rider, Yusuf Issa, also called on government to reduce fuel pump price, saying tricycle riders now spend all their income on fuel.
“They (government) should reduce it totally. It is becoming very difficult to make any profit, not to talk of taking care of the family from what we do for a living,” he said.
The focal points of the protest, such as Maraba and Murtala Mohammed Way Junction, witnessed aggrieved transporters chanting “(We say) ‘No’ to consistent price hike”.
Security operatives, including personnel of the Nigerian Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were deployed to key areas in the metropolis to ease the tension and ensure orderliness.
The presence of security agents helped to prevent any escalation into violence and ensured that the protest remained largely peaceful in spite of the significant disruptions to daily activities.
The protest caused widespread disruption as residents who relied on public transport as they were stranded and could not go for their daily activities.
Many of them later resolved to trekking to their various destinations.
Report says that most independent petroleum marketers in Kwara now sell at different prices ranging from N950 to N1200 per litre.(NAN)
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