The President of the Senate was quoted to have suggested that the social media in the country should be censored. But speaking through an aide, Mr. Mark said his comments were misrepresented by mischief makers

Kola Ologbondiyan, Special Adviser to the President of the Senate (Media and Publicity) released the statement below saying his boss never advocated that social media should be censored. He said Mr. Mark was misquoted.

Recently, the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, delivered a keynote address at the Senate press corps Retreat in Umuahia, Abia Sate. The theme of the Retreat was: The Role of the Media in Promoting Good Governance. The event had in audience the state Governor, Chief Theodore A. Orji, Senators Ayogu Eze, Eyinnaya Abaribe, Nkechi Nwaogwu and a host of media practitioners and activists as well as other eminent Nigerians.

When Senator Mark was invited to the podium to deliver his address, he recalled his interaction with the members of the Senate Press Corps who came to invite him to the occasion. According to him, the members of the Corps gave him the liberty to speak his mind on the workings of the media adding that the power conferred on him by the Corps also granted him the authority to criticize the media.

He however noted that he would thread with caution “because a goat will not visit a lion’s den on the pretext that the lion is sick and return home in one piece.” As his observation sent the large audience laughing, the President of the Senate quickly added that he is wise enough to know that the liberty given to him by the Senate Press Corps was a Greek gift.

Senator Mark also informed the audience that since he was quoted out of context that mobile phones was not for the poor myth, he had learnt to read a prepared text wherever he went to deliver an address. “I have challenged anybody to show me a quote in my own words where I said telephone is not for the poor. Nobody has been able to produce it yet I have to defend this everyday that what I said was if you must use a phone then you have to pay for the service.”


Noting that he always love to speak from the heart, the President of the Senate said he hoped and prayed that whatever he would present in his address to the Senate Press Corps at the event would not be misconstrued and misrepresented to Nigerians who were not present at the event.
It was as if Senator Mark saw tomorrow or had a premonition of how his innocuous remark on the social media would be misinterpreted and misrepresented by mischief makers who have been lurking around to attack him.

In his address, the President of the Senate had asserted that “the emergence of the social media like facebook, twitter, blackberry messenger, YouTube etc have changed the face of the media practice by making information sharing easier, faster and quicker. But this is not without its demerits. Social media has become a threat to the ethics of media practice and good governance because of its accessibility and absolute freedom. Every freedom carries a responsibility. Even in the advanced democracies, where we all agree that good governance is practiced, there is no absolute freedom."

Continuing, Senator Mark expressed the belief that “there must be a measure to check the negative tendencies of the social media in our country. I say this because media practice, particularly journalism, process news gathering and dissemination. It also operates a feedback mechanism and where the practitioners erred there is room for rebuttal. But in the social media a faceless character can post any information that is absolutely false and misleading but will never retract it. At the end of the day one is bombarded with questions over what one has no business with. I suggest that schools of mass communication and journalism should review their curricular to include the operations of social media.”

But hardly had he returned to his seat after the address when mischief makers began to work on their blogs in the social media. The message of the President of the Senate, delivered in a simple language, has not only been misconstrued, it has become misrepresented and had begun to spread like a wildfire. Mark had become the victim of the fear he had expressed before his address.

The wildest among the reactions said Senator Mark had called for censorship of the social media. There were those who said the President of the Senate stated that social media was being used to insult the leaders of the nation like him while others became as mundane as alleging that he wanted the social media to stop criticizing those in authority and to write only their good sides. All these are absolute falsehood.

From the excerpts of the speech quoted above, it is manifest that the President of the Senate neither called for the censorship of the social media nor alleged that the medium was being used to insult the Nigerian leaders like him. He also did not ask the social media to stop criticizing the Federal Government and write only on its good sides. Rather, he called for measures that would check the negative tendencies inherent in the use of the social media. That, I believe, is a genuine call that would help refocus the medium.

One would therefore have expected on-line publishers to join the clarion call made by Senator Mark that the assault to news gathering and dissemination being perpetrated on the social media be checked. There are several instances when social media activists have posted falsehood and readers believed them only to discover later that the post was bogus. How does this help the credibility of the social media as a medium? For instance, few days after members of the National Youth Service Corp posted to Bauchi State went to camp, a section of the social media posted falsehood that Boko Haram sect had attacked the Bauchi camp and about 50 people killed.

It was soon discovered that the information was false and totally mischievous. How can this be justified? Yet Senator Mark did not call for sanctions against those who made such posts but called for a check against such negative tendencies.

For the avoidance of doubts, the President of the Senate’s interest in the media has never been hidden and he demonstrated this in his several interfaces with the stakeholders of the industry before the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill by the 6th National Assembly.

Even at the Umuahia event, he expressed kind words for the media and its conscientious operators by saluting “the courage, doggedness and steadfastness of the Nigerian media.” Senator Mark also acknowledged the fact that “the press has been in the vanguard for the promotion and sustenance of democracy we now enjoy. Even the struggle for independence was pioneered and fought for by the Nigerian media.

“Sometimes I do disagree with you, but the media generally has fared well. They can still do more by deliberately planning and sustaining the efforts to bridge the information gap between the leaders and the led. The press can achieve this if it applies the basic principles of patriotism, accountability, transparency, and objectivity in the discharge of its duty.”

Is it not curious that some social media activists turned the table against Senator Mark by concocting lies and ascribing them to him? Was it for nothing that they ignored the details of his printed speech? Was there an agenda to deliberately denigrate his personage and cast a slur on his hard earned reputation? How else can one rationalize the insistence of some social media activists that Senator Mark called for the censorship of the medium even when his speech showed clearly that he never made such a call?

Perhaps one would have ignored some of the ridiculous posts but for the successive analysis that have been following. It is suspect that in most of these analyses of this hoax, there are subtle attempts to foist a label of “social media must be censored” on the Senate President. This is mischievous, irresponsible, wicked and unjust agenda that will not stick.

Senator Mark did not make any gaffes in his keynote address to the Senate Press Corps on the role of the media in promoting good governance.

Rather, his critics, who have continually ignored the text of his address which he read in the public, are mischief makers.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/6332-i_never_called_for_censorship_of_social_media.html

O ri e yo e [Your head saved you]

okay now wetin him wan make we do for am?

Was thinking along that line when I started this thread:
www.nairaland.com/1008973/david-mark-myth-telephone-not

Whatever! At least we know we are being heard. We cannot all be sycophantic, especially when we are progressively stripped of the rights and privileges that's due to citizens by the men without scrupples in the helm of affairs. RADIO NIGERIA is open to censorship by the way, though I doubt if anyone listens to what they have to say. Why have we not seen Mark championing a crusade for the sanction of those who gave FALSE REPORT of budget implementation to us? Wreaks of hypocrisy!

Fear grip, my guy change mouth sharp-sharp. I dey laff like Obasanjo.

Muhehehehehehe!

So little too late. So after over a month this the time they are hearing it...I see they are truely offline

who ask am?

Rich Dad: O ri e yo e [Your head saved you]

anonymous for hack him life.

He should be ashamed that as a Senate President in 2012 - he can't bost of battalion of online followership. Very shameful.

in d west a false post can land in court, 9jeria need such lawz!

Litmus: He should have, it needs censoring.

maybe he should start from Facebook cos GEJ brought it to nigeria in the first place.

Laughing louder than ever

Laughing loud

Laff laudest

Freedom of Speech has its limitations. Internet needs censoring, China-style.

Well, it needs censoring due to some reasons, and some particular set of people who use it for some stupid things. Apart from that, it is a good media for expression of opinions, and meeting people.

Shameless leaders-
In 1979,bamanga tukur was the governor of the defunct gongola state (Now adamawa & taraba)and 33 years after he is today the chairman of the ruling party;
Dr bello haliru was commissioner in the old sokoto state (now sokoto, kebbi & zamfara) and 33 years later he is today the minister of defence before is removal some few month ago;
Major general david mark(rtd) was the military governor of niger state in 1984 and 28 years later, he is today the senate president;
Gov. murtala nyako was the governor of niger state in 1976 and 36 years later he is today the governor of adamawa state;
Ogbonnaya onu was governor of abia state in 1992 and 20 years later he is today the national chairman of of ANPP;
Gov. david jonah jang was the governor of benue state in 1985 and 27 years after he is today the governor of plateau state;
And martins elechi of ebonyi state governor is over 80 years old!
Only in Nigeria is this possible,where the youth of today have no future! where do we go from here?.In 1985,IBB was the president and our teachers told us that gen. buhari was the former head of state......our teachers also called us the leaders of tommorrow.....
27 years later, IBB and buhari are still contesting for president.It's either our teachers lied to us about being the leaders of tommorrow, or tommorrow is yet to come. Who is fooling who? hmmmmmm!

Dpeacemaker101: Well, it needs censoring due to some reasons, and some particular set of people who use it for some stupid things. Apart from that, it is a good media for expression of opinions, and meeting people.

While we have a right to exercise our freedom of speech, we are equally duty bound to exercise caution and remember there is a limit to what we can say. Abroad pple get punished for such abuse, while I will never support censoring we must, however be cautious (exactly what Mark drove at).

berem: maybe he should start from Facebook cos GEJ brought it to nigeria in the first place.

brought what? Fb was here stil here and wil be here even after is no more.So dont bring the gentle president into this.

berem: maybe he should start from Facebook cos GEJ brought it to nigeria in the first place.

brought what? Fb was here stil here and wil be here even after Gej is no more.So dont bring the gentle president into this.

The difference between a Madman and a complete fo0l is that a madman does not realize when he is making a fo0l of himself. A fo0l on the other hand always realizes when he is making a madman of himself - David Mark, ya eye don dey open small small

Belmot: Shameless leaders-
In 1979,bamanga tukur was the governor of the defunct gongola state (Now adamawa & taraba)and 33 years after he is today the chairman of the ruling party;
Dr bello haliru was commissioner in the old sokoto state (now sokoto, kebbi & zamfara) and 33 years later he is today the minister of defence before is removal some few month ago;
Major general david mark(rtd) was the military governor of niger state in 1984 and 28 years later, he is today the senate president;
Gov. murtala nyako was the governor of niger state in 1976 and 36 years later he is today the governor of adamawa state;
Ogbonnaya onu was governor of abia state in 1992 and 20 years later he is today the national chairman of of ANPP;
Gov. david jonah jang was the governor of benue state in 1985 and 27 years after he is today the governor of plateau state;
And martins elechi of ebonyi state governor is over 80 years old!
Only in Nigeria is this possible,where the youth of today have no future! where do we go from here?.In 1985,IBB was the president and our teachers told us that gen. buhari was the former head of state......our teachers also called us the leaders of tommorrow.....
27 years later, IBB and buhari are still contesting for president.It's either our teachers lied to us about being the leaders of tommorrow, or tommorrow is yet to come. Who is fooling who? hmmmmmm!

1,000 likes

This is about d first thread am seeing most nairalanders reasoning with their heads and making comments that will move d country 4ward. Negative criticism will never lead us to anywhere. English footballers are being punished for making ugly comments on twitter not to talk of writing false comments against people because we are not satisfied wit wot they have done. I almost left nairaland to naijapals cos am sick of negative criticism

Reading this. . .All that came to mind was "Wow, now why can't this guy be GEJ's spin doctor?"

It takes a lot of talent to be able to dress a pig in nice clothes and have it come out smelling roses. Even though I am not a fan of Marks, he and his spokeswhore have totally won me over with this corrections (true or not. . .it is not relevant).

Abati could learn a thing or two. . .oh why am I being kind, he could learn a whole book from this guy. And number one on the list would be. . How not to sound like a whinyass brat.

Gah! Sometimes I read his press releases and I am convinced a child, perhaps GEJ's son, wrote it. . . that's how cry baby bunty it is.

"Wen, wen, wen, why do you not like my daddy, wen, wen, wen, you don't want my daddy to succeed, my daddy is gooder than your daddy, people in amelika and londo like my daddy so I don't caaaare"

You find yourself mentally reaching for a tissue and saying "Oya Abati. . . Blow" before you can help it.

Our journalists have missed the line between sensationalism and outright lies preferring to go with the later in other to sell market.

Now i see that we plebs have much power than we thought afterall, D heat got to him & he could not even defend himself. We'ill continue to criticize the gov't of whatever wrong-doing through social media, 'cos this is all we've right now.

Where do people get the idea that negative criticism ruins the image of a country? I mean obviously there has to be something negative in the first place before it can be criticized. So wouldn't the better option be to work on the negative and totally make null the criticism?

I think what would ruin the image of the country will be everyone singing praises of it despite the fact that something is wrong. Maybe as Nigerians, we can force ouselves to drink from the same seeing our country through rose tinted glasses koolaid bucket but we can't force outsiders. So while we all wrap ourselves in our warm fuzzy always positivity all the time blankets, other people are looking at us as a nation of eeediots.

Yeah..remember this is a democracy.billyonaire suggested china style internet censorship for Nigeria and later when he is called a goon he flames up..how can we even consider this in a democracy.The Chinese are under a communist government where even freedom of religion is censored.and some some fellows with poorly developed thinking faculties are advocating a neo-stalinist type of dictatorship.Just beats my imagination!!
If internet censorship is brought into law,we might have to find other alternatives to censored surfing.

kutchs: While we have a right to exercise our freedom of speech, we are equally duty bound to exercise caution and remember there is a limit to what we can say. Abroad pple get punished for such abuse, while I will never support censoring we must, however be cautious (exactly what Mark drove at).

If you don't mind. . .can you please explain what "excising caution" with freedom of speech means and how to limit freedom of speech.

It would also help if you gave us examples of the abroad people who have been punished for not excising caution with/limiting their freedom of speech and your thoughts on how they could have erred on the side of caution in those instances.

Thanks in advance.