Ban on Twitter: A knee jerk reaction

If ever you wanted a perfect example of a knee jerk reaction, you got one with this reported suspension of Twitter by the Federal Government 

Twitter had fired the first salvo by overreacting. The Buhari statement was being dealt with by Nigerians and all democratic lovers globally.

Twitter was on overdrive Nigerians were already treating the statement in a language they understood but leveraging on the euphoria of their seeming victory over Donald Trump,  the nerds that run the place had the effrontery to delete our President’s statement

This angered not only the Presidency but also angered me.

Twitter has been used very effectively by enemies of state. Used to cause fear, shame and employed powerfully by separatist agitators and other vile elements in this crazy situation we find ourselves

The power drunk lords who own the platform didn’t raise their puny fingers in a vain attempt at regulation

But the moment they saw a statement that was uttered in an obvious moment of frustration they decided to masturbate with it.

What effrontery. Did we expect the Presidency to also go into negotiation with Twitter? Did we expect The Presidency to send an apology and promise to be more cautious in ‘our statements’

That would have been the height of national humiliation and I for one would have been utterly ashamed to be a Nigerian if the Presidency had gone with bowed heads to Twitter to say, ‘ let me explain’

But in suspending it, the Presidency lost me. This re-echoes Decree 4 and the Presidents legendary revulsion towards media and the free press.

This reaction is symbolic of the fight against terrorism and banditry in the country. Our knack for taking the sledge and hammer at a fly is the bane of our presidential reaction and that is why we are failing in that war and in Nation building.

A guerrilla war as we face in the North East, banditry and kidnapping all over the Nation. Legitimate agitation although sometimes violent but mostly verbal agitation in the SE and we throw the Army at it?

Who fights an invincible war with a standing Army. An enemy who is part of civilian population  u take platoons and appoint COAS from Infantry because the theatre of War is in the NE?

No my President, the war is that of strategy and the main weapons are information, communications and strategic intelligence.  At best an elite military command like the Special forces and police action.

But much more effectively a battle of the mind using this same Twitter and other platforms to engage, explain and woo the people

This is what the enemies of the state are using and to very powerful results. They have succeeded in selling to the people using fear and utilizing Twitter and the rest then need to restructure and if not possible separation.

Now instead of the Federal Government with all its might to respond on the same platform building a bulwark of resistance utilizing, ideas, purposeful vision driving engagements pushed by a slew of media savvy Nigerians they threw Lai Mohammed,  Shehu Garba and Femi Adesina into the fray.

What do we get,  a huge pie on the face. National humiliation and a deliberate exacerbation of the issues.

This was my argument during the appointment of the COAS. Warfare has changed and an effective COAS would be one that would in addition to his infantry experience understand and be comfortable with strategic intelligence and its uses in modern day warfare.

My advise to the Federal Government is to immediate rescind its decision because it’s political, economic and social implications are too dire to contemplate.

Over 39 million Nigerians are on that platform and most of them earn a living on it, communicate and get information on it and mostly entertain themselves.

Although it is being abused by a minority, Nigeria and Nigerians need Twitter.

The Federal Government should learn how to be savvy on social media. They too should be able to build a team that would connect to the people,  engage people and fight the war of the minds using sound logic and effective strategy.

You cannot use a bulldozer on the minds of the people simply because it is borderless and very powerful.

You can only have your way by also engaging the minds and the hearts of the people.

This the Presidency has to understand.

This was a wrong and very stupid move, pedestrian in nature and very amateurish. pull back, re-evaluate and re-engage but this time strategically gunning for the minds of the people with integrity and robust vision as tools if you can muster that.