Politicians who disparage Nigeria on social media don't deserve to be president - AGF

Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, has said that politicians who constantly disparage Nigeria on the social media space don't deserve a chance to lead the country.

Fagbemi also warned that no individual has the right to use the unfettered nature of social media to infringe upon the rights of another as it is fast becoming the new norm.

He said these at the Abuja Social Media Summit with the theme, ‘Harnessing the Power of Social Media for National Development’ on Wednesday, September 18, 2024.

The AGF also called for a concerted effort towards pulling Nigeria out of the doldrums, which he said President Bola Tinubu remains committed to achieving.

“All hands must be on deck in efforts to transform Nigeria into a greater nation devoid of bickering. The government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to leading the country out of the woods.

“Just as they say that social media neither sleeps nor slumbers, we must watch our word! Weigh it before you utter it. For, once uttered, it cannot be retrieved.

“No individual should use his freedom of speech on social media to infringe upon the rights of another as it is fast becoming the order of the day. We must also be careful of what we say about our country,” Fagbemi said.

He appealed to politicians to stop demarketing the country before the rest of the world to settle political scores, arguing that only unpatriotic citizens would resort to such behaviour.

“Political differences should not make us de-market our country on the international stage. Only unpatriotic citizens or leaders will choose to do so. Those who speak ill of their country to settle political differences should never have the opportunity to lead the same country at any stage,” he added.

The AGF, represented at the event by his spokesman Kamarudeen Ogundele, emphasised the the use of social media for national development through leveraging social media platforms to promote economic growth, improve governance, enhance civic engagement, and foster societal progress.

The Justice Minister also highlighted that social media promotes transparency; citizenship participation and engagement; public service announcements and information dissemination; feedback mechanisms and complaint resolution.

Fagbemi, however, noted that with all the good things social media has to offer, there are attendant challenges and limitations such as digital divide and inequality, misinformation and disinformation, cybersecurity threats, and privacy concerns.

“To overcome these challenges, governments, civil society, and private sector stakeholders must work together to create an enabling environment for social media-driven national development,” he concluded.