Governor Bago urges FG to censor social media following viral photo of him kneeling for Tinubu
Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago, has called on the Nigerian Government to censor the contents of social media platforms in the country.
He made the call on Friday during his decoration as the Grand Patron of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Niger State Council.
The governor cited the abuse of social media space and the spread of fake news as his reasons for wanting the regulation.
This comes a day after a photo of him kneeling to greet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential villa went viral and elicited criticism.
I have been thinking of this since I saw it. A governor “greeting” the president. I have tried to think of something satirical to say but I don’t think I can do better than the photo itself. Hard to satirize Nigeria. pic.twitter.com/4AgdrfRuQ3
— Elnathan John (@elnathan_john) March 7, 2024
Bago said there is the need for censorship to checkmate the spread of fake news and promote objective reportage by conventional journalism practitioners.
“As the fourth estate of the realm, journalists should carry out their duties as watchdogs of the society and ensure the objectivity in their reports.
“I call for the introduction of censorship on social media contents to checkmate the spread of fake news and hate speeches,” Bago said.
The NUJ National President, Chris Isiguzo, presented Governor Bago with a certificate, recognizing his exemplary leadership qualities.
Isiguzo explained that the conferment on the governor was in recognition of his transformative strides in the areas of infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, good governance and education among others.
