The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has slammed the Canadian government and social media giant, Twitter, over the truckers protest against COVID-19 restrictions in Canada.
It would be recalled that during the #EndSARS protest against police brutality and bad governance that took place in Nigeria in October, 2020, the Canadian government condemned the actions taken to quell it.
Tweeting through @CanadaFP, it said, “Canada is deeply concerned about the excessive use of force during the ongoing protests in #Nigeria. Those responsible for #HumanRights violations and abuse must be held accountable.”
Likening the #EndSARS protest to the truckers protest in Canada, Mohammed accused Twitter and the West of double standards in the way they perceive the violent protesters in their region and those in Nigeria.
In a news briefing, yesterday, the minister said “the Canadian protesters, who have blockaded roads and resorted to inconveniencing others, have been branded as terrorists or insurrectionists and subjected to a number of clampdowns by government and private organisations.”
He noted that the crowdfunding company GoFundMe has shut down the campaign to raise funds for the truckers, after they raised over $10illion, adding that Twitter has suspended the truckers account while the Ontario government has frozen access to millions of dollars donated through online fundraising platform GiveSendGo to the protesters.
“The Mayor of Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, Jim Watson, has also declared a state of emergency in the city in response, saying the protests posed a threat to residents’ safety,” Mohammed said.
He continued, “Recall, gentlemen, that during the #EndSARS protest, which culminated in the blockage of public roads and massive destruction of government and private property, Canada was one of the countries that spoke out in support of the protesters.
“Recall also that Twitter actively supported the #EndSARS protesters and even helped them to raise fund while GoFundMe was used to raise funds for the protests.”
According to Mohammed, these are the same entities “that are now rushing to distance themselves from the protesters in Canada and even denying them the use of their platforms.
“This is similar to what played out during the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. where those involved are either still being investigated or have been charged to court. I don’t blame them. Nobody wants their country destroyed under the guise of protests.”
He, however, stated that the essence of the news briefing was not to gloat over the unfortunate development in Canada.
“Don’t misunderstand this intervention. We are not gloating over the unfortunate development in Canada. But we are only calling attention to the double standards involved in the way protesters deemed to be violent are perceived in Nigeria and in the West.
“Those who referred to the hoodlums who destroyed public and private property in Nigeria under the guise of #EndSARS as peaceful protesters have tagged similar protesters in their own countries as insurrectionists and terrorists. This glaring double standard should not be lost on all Nigerians.
“We have always said that you must have a country before you can even enjoy the freedoms guaranteed by your country’s constitution. If there is no Nigeria, no one will be talking of freedom of expression or freedom of association and the likes.
“This realisation explains why every country goes the extra mile to protect and preserve itself. And this also explains why we have continued to insist on the regulation of social media to ensure responsible content. In this area, I can confidently say we are far ahead of most countries in the world, who have now realized that social media must be regulated in the interest of their own people.
“In this regard, our successful negotiation with Twitter to fashion out measures to ensure responsible use of that platform which, by the way, will also apply to other social media platforms, has made us a global trailblazer in efforts to prevent harmful content from social media platforms.
“Gentlemen, we must not allow anyone to destroy our country under the guise of protest or unbridled freedoms. We all must put Nigeria first at all times,” he concluded.