BY Jesupemi Are
Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, says Canada’s reaction towards the truckers’ protest against COVID-19 restrictions shows no country allows violent protests.
The demonstration tagged “Freedom Convoy” began on January 9 over a new rule stipulating that all truckers must be vaccinated to cross the US-Canada border.
However, the protests grew to include ending all such mandates nationwide and opposing the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau condemned the protest, saying it has to “ stop”.
Speaking at a news briefing, the minister said the Canadian government branded the protesters as insurrectionists, whereas they supported the #EndSARS protesters in Nigeria, which shows double standards.
”Recall also that Twitter actively supported the #EndSars protesters and even helped them to raise fund while GoFundMe was used to raise funds for the protests,” he said.
“These are the same entities that are now rushing to distance themselves from the protesters in Canada and even denying them the use of their platforms.
“Don’t misunderstand this intervention. We are not gloating over the unfortunate development in Canada. But we are only calling attention to the double standard involved in the way protesters deemed to be violent are perceived in Nigeria and in the West.
“We have always said that you must have a country before you can even enjoy the freedoms guaranteed by your country’s constitution. If there is no Nigeria, no one will be talking of freedom of expression or freedom of association and the likes.
“This realization explains why every country goes the extra mile to protect and preserve itself. And this also explains why we have continued to insist on the regulation of social media to ensure responsible content. In this area, I can confidently say we are far ahead of most countries in the world, who have now realized that social media must be regulated in the interest of their own people.
“In this regard, our successful negotiation with Twitter to fashion out measures to ensure a responsible use of that platform which, by the way, will also apply to other social media platforms, has made us a global trail blazer in efforts to prevent harmful content from social media platforms
“Gentlemen, we must not allow anyone to destroy our country under the guise of protest or unbridled freedoms. We all must put Nigeria first at all times.”
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