Ayade warns: Social media causing insecurity in Nigeria

The Governor of Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade has blamed social media for insecurity in the country and called for its strict regulation.

Ayade passed the blame in Calabar on Wednesday while declaring open the 2019 National Broadcasting Summit with the theme: ‘Broadcasting and Democracy: Emerging Security Imperatives’ organised by the National Broadcasting Commission.

“If there is anything to regulate, it is social media. In China, social media is regulated. Dissemination of falsehood must have its penalty. Social media is causing divisiveness in the country.

“The theme is very relevant. Freedom is not absolute anywhere on earth. False information threatens security. We won’t have the kind of peace we have now in the next 20 years if social media is allowed to continue this way,” he said.

He said he was not opposed to press freedom, adding that such freedom was not absolute.

Governor Ayade also said there was no more regard for values by users of social media.

“Social media is destroying our country, our values. Those who publish horrible pictures should go to jail. Animals are becoming more humans while humans are becoming more animalistic,” he said and called for stricter broadcasting regulation in the country. Punch