In exercising our right of freedom of speech, we are always quick to cite Article 19 of the UN Charter, forgetting that each right comes with a corresponding responsibility and limitations as clearly stated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 16 December 1966, which became enforceable on 23 March 1976.

In the case of Article 19, the Right goes thus:

1. Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.

2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.

However, dubious people always hoodwink people with only the Right while deliberately shying away from the Responsibility.

What does the Responsibility of Article 19 says? It goes this in clause 3 as:

3. The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special duties and responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary:

(a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others;

(b) For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health or morals.

In the suspension of Twitter, 3b was evoked by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

It gets more interesting when you look at Article 20 which was incessantly flouted on Twitter and which gave the Govt every reason to evoke 3b.

What does Article 20 says? It goes thus:

1. Any propaganda for war shall be prohibited by law.

2. Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law.

TwitterNG was littered with all sorts of posts from irresponsible users calling for violence against the State, that is undeniable by objective minds.

Twitter and Jack as the owner of the platform have the right to their platform and most importantly they even have the responsibility to ensure the Articles and laws of sovereignties where their platform
is operational are not flouted. It is in the best interest of humanity for Twitter or any responsible Social Media not only to uphold the Right but also live up to the expected responsibility of the Charter.

Federal Govt has a duty to protect the sovereignty of the nation and ensuring the responsibility of the Charter of the UN are enforced, after granting the Rights of the Charter, especially when Article 20 was being flouted repeatedly by users of the Twitter platform with the owner not taking responsibility to put up any reasonable mechanism in place to timely nip the flouting in the bud.

In the face of the repeated flouting of Article 20, it was only a matter of time for Federal Govt to evoke 3b as prescribed by the UN and being an international covenant which most nations are signatories to.

Apart from this, the Supreme Court of Nigeria ruling in the case of the FGN vs Asari Dokubo (2006) as already established the fact that National Security supersedes Freedom and Rights. When the issue of National Security comes in, all rights and freedoms take the back burner.

Perhaps, if some of the users of the platform had been more circumvent and responsible in the usage of the platform to exercise their freedom and right while being conscious of the responsibility it behoves on them wit the corresponding limitation of the Articles they are always quick to cite, maybe Twitter may not have been suspended.


Lalasticlala
Mynd44

Trying to bring Adeboye here, but upon still upon still we all know that that ban ain't worth it, and perheps FG defy tweeter law, so to say

Eazi1:
Try to bring Adeboye here, but upon still upon still we all know that than ban ain't worth it, and perheps FG defy tweeter law.

Maybe Yes and maybe No.

superstar1:


Maybe Yes and maybe No.

I would have say you should pick one answer, but the maybe... can be cray cray at times, maybe... lol, I love to use maybe... Maybe I do. Lol, maybe

Eazi1:
I would have say you should pick one answer, but the maybe... can be cray cray at times, maybe... lol, I love to use maybe... Maybe I do. Lol, maybe

Lol. In reality, Twitter has a responsibility it did not live up to in Nigeria.

superstar1:


Lol. In reality, Twitter has a responsibility it did not live up to in Nigeria.

And vise versa, the gov. haven't been doin' well either

Ok

Psalms27:
Adeboye my man

Which of the Adeboyes?