The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of Benue State has stated that Governor Hyacinth Alia lacks the authority to control social media and limit the state’s citizens’ freedom of speech.
The party’s spokesperson, Mr. Bemgba Iortyom, made a statement that included this information.
The comment was a response to Asortar James, Alia’s communications assistant, telling internet users to only post verified accounts of herdsmen and bandit killings in the state.
The assistant stated that harsh repercussions await anyone who disobeys the instructions, and that social media committees have been established in all local government regions to review any citizen reports of insecurity before they can be made public.
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According to Mr. Iortyom, the media assistant essentially made a mistake by not realising that neither he nor his principal, the governor, have the authority to enact rules governing social media usage.
He added that the National Assembly is in charge of regulating media practises, while the legislature at all levels in Nigeria has the authority to enact laws.
“The media aide has no powers to regulate the use of social media. If he feels strongly about what anyone does there, he may approach the law courts, which are the only ones with the authority to decide what is and isn’t on that space, in accordance with the law,” stated Iortyom.
“Secondly, even though the killings are happening on a daily basis, Asortar’s boss, the governor, hardly talks about them, which makes citizen reporting of the atrocities occurring around the state all the more important.
Naturally, the conventional wisdom holds that Governor Alia opposes the use of propaganda to combat insecurity, but the reality is that oppressed individuals who remain silent only give their aggressor more power.
He declared that no self-centered assistance would be able to deter the Benue people from using every available avenue to draw attention to the crimes that bandits and terrorists are committing against them.
