Social media platforms such as Facebook, Tweeter, Instagram, online media and personal blogs have helped improve the lives of many. It has also caused havoc for not a few, writes ROBERT EGBE.
Success Adegor is known by many Nigerians. Before March 10, she was just another pupil of a government-owned primary school in Delta State. She owes her popularity and good fortune to a video in which the seven-year-old was complaining about not being allowed in school for owing examination fees.
Her motorcyclist father and petty trader mother could not afford the N900 examination levy that was imposed on pupils of the Okotie Eboh Primary School 1, Sapele, Delta State.
“Na dem go tire. As dem say dem stubborn, I go tell them say I stubborn pass,” she said as she trudged on.
The Chairman of Sapele Local Government Area, Chief Eugene Unuaghan, offered her scholarship and gave her father, Godwin, job in the council. The Private Secretary to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Mr. Hilary Ibegbule, visited the family on behalf of the Delta State government.
Success also got modelling contract from House of Michybal, a Dubai-based fashion firm. She is now the firm’s kid model/brand ambassador.
Okotie Eboh Primary School 1 also got a makeover. Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Chiedu Ebie said the video influenced the implementation of the project which had been awarded since November 2018. The illegal levy collection in public schools was cancelled and the Head Teacher of Okotie Eboh Primary School 1, Mrs. Vero Igbigwe, was suspended.
An orange hawker, Ayomide Adeoye, who became an internet sensation for miming to a song by Tope Alabi, also got lucky. The Esther Ajayi Foundation enrolled him at the Avi-Cenna International School, Ikeja on a full scholarship. Also, Stephen and Sukanmi, who were instrumental to his popularity, also enjoyed fully funded scholarship.
Unlike Success and Ayomide, First Lady Aisha Buhari and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq were at the bad end of the social media. Also in the mix was President Muhammadu Buhari, who was said to be marrying Farouq as second wife. It turned out the whole news was fake.
A comedian and actress, Chioma Omeruah, popularly known as “Chigul”, on Tuesday advised youths to desist from wrongful use of the social media but rather, use it to promote their business brands.
Omeruah gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
She said the numerous advantages of the social media, such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Goggle should be explored to add value to lives.
According to her, negative use of the social media can render people unruly to become social deviants.
“There are a good number of advantages for embracing the social media, but this should not be in excess.
“Youths and adults should try to use the social media to promote their business brands and develop certain skills which would add value to their lives.
“A lot of people learn the act of make-up, beading, tailoring and more on various social media platforms, this should be encouraged.
“The focus on social media should not be on the negative such as watching pornographic films.
“As good as it could be, students could also get some clarifications as regards their school lessons on the social media and connect with people to be loaded with positive ideas,” she said.
The actress also advised youths to desist from living deceptive lifestyle in their bid to imitate renowned artistes, forgetting that the artistes had paid their dues before being known.
“Everyone must understand that life is in stages and there are processes one needs to go through to be successful.”
Controversial actress Etinosa Idemudia was also reported to have been disowned by her parents. The false report made her call for the regulation of the social media.
“The social media bill has to be passed very fast to avoid spreading false news and misleading the public.
“I am now a victim. It will bring about regulation. Anything left, especially in the hands of Nigerians without control always causes damage to themselves and others. This story you heard now is a clear example. Imagine dragging my mother into their thirst for traffic and saying that she is ill. Nigerians need regulation. I support the social media bill 100 per cent,” she said.
Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed also believes the social media should be regulated.
Mohammed stated that the government’s resolve to regulate the social media was not designed to hamper freedom of expression or gag public discourse as being alleged.
He said, rather, it was to prevent the abuse of social media and its negative consequences that the government was regulating the platform.
Chairman Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Senator Rochas Okorocha also backed the call for the regulation of the social media.
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Okorocha, however, warned that the regulation must be approached with caution so as not to be counter-productive.
He urged the Federal Government to carefully make a distinction between the fight against hate speech and the regulation of social media and determine the right approach to redressing each of the malaise, instead of treating both as the same.
General Overseer of Christ Apostolic Church Vineyard of Comfort popularly known as CAC Agbara Itura, Prophet Samuel Abiara, also backed efforts by the National Assembly to regulate the social media.
The efforts, he said, were not aimed at gagging freedom of speech but to fight fake news and sensationalism that could destroy the nation.
He said: “It is good that social media has expanded the information space globally. People connect and communicate better than before.
“But that privilege has been abused many times by unscrupulous elements who have been spreading fake news and libelling government officials and church leaders.”
Abiara said government must regulate the use of social media so as not to set the nation on fire.
Ms. Florence Bodunrin, CEO, Bodex Media Group, said: “We can no longer dismiss the influence of the internet and its creations. We need to recognise them as the greatest agenda-setting tools in the modern world, but we now need to exercise great caution in the way and manner we deploy them as engagement resources.”
The Executive Assistant to Lagos State Governor on New Media and Public Relations, Mr. Olusegun Fafore, said: “With the reach and growing influence of the internet, which is validated by the increase in the number of internet users from 200,000, 19 years ago, to 116 million currently, we need to treat our diversity as a nation, which cuts across languages, religions and cultural practices, with greater care.
“We need to exercise high level of prudence and discipline in how we engage online, particularly when the benefit of context is lost to technology-created facelessness.”
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has cautioned the National Assembly and the Federal Government against passing the controversial Social Media Bills, saying that “draconian legislations have no place in Nigeria’s democracy.”
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