Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The federal government has denied reports alleging that the Ministry of Interior Affairs is planning to stifle the freedom of speech being enjoyed by Nigeirans by ordering all phones calls and social media posts to be recorded and monitored.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, denied the report via a statement signed on his behalf by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Adeyemi. He likened the report to classic disinformation that has permeated the media space, insisting that government has no intention to wiretap phone calls made or received by members of the public.
‘’There is no regulation, old or new, from the Ministry of Interior or any federal government agency requiring the recording of all calls or the monitoring of social media platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter or Facebook,” Mohammed said.
He said those behind the false news wanted to give the impression that government was working to stifle freedom of speech.
He appealed to the public to disregard the news being spread as falsehood.
‘’We thank all Nigerians who have reached out to us in an effort to confirm the authenticity or otherwise of this information, which is now being widely circulated on the social media. This is the best way to ensure that the purveyors of false news do not dominate our media space,’’ he said.
