An activist and social media commentator, David Hundeyin, on Thursday, January 13, slammed President Muhammadu Buhari despite lifting the suspension on Twitter operations in the country, effective from 12 am, January 13, 2022.
According to Hundeyin, Buhari has succeeded in massaging his ego for over seven months since he suspended the micro-blogging platform on June 4, 2021.
The investigative journalist said Nigeria lost millions of dollars in revenue; and productivity has been lost to the about eight-month suspension.
Hundeyin said, “The removal of the ban itself is not unexpected, because regardless of the Buhari regime’s posturing over the past seven months; it is in fact Twitter that always had the bargaining position. Nigeria needs Twitter and not the other way around. We have wasted seven months of our time as a nation pursuing an imaginary outcome; against a global tech giant with a market cap bigger than Nigeria’s annual federal budget.
“We have essentially lost millions of dollars in revenue and productivity resulting from the completely ill-conceived and unnecessary ban for no other reason than to assuage the wounded ego of a septuagenarian who happens to be president. Now that he has eventually run through his extended temper tantrum and political reality of next year’s elections are upon him, it is no surprise that it has been lifted.”
According to the NetBlocks Cost of Shutdown Tool, Nigeria’s economy lost N104.02m ($250,600) every hour; to the ban on Twitter as of December 2021.
Also Read: Amotekun vows to continue securing South-West even without State Police
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has criticised the bill; seeking to outlaw strikes in the health sector.
This was stated by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, January 11; who observed that the bill negated international and national laws.
The NLC President noted, “It is laughable, where industrial relations are working optimally; strikes can be avoided and therefore; this is the provision of the law; and I am sure that those proposing the bill are not aware of those laws, and those laws are very explicit.”
According to him, the bill was sponsored by a member of the House of Representatives, Simon Chukwuemeka Atigwe (PDP, Enugu); seeking to amend the Trade Disputes Act.
He explained that the bill, which prohibits health workers; from embarking on strikes, has scaled first reading in the House.
The NLC President observed that the right of workers to strike; constitutes a fundamental right of workers and their organization, especially unions.
