The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has said advancement in information technology and the evolution of new media were aiding the spread of misinformation, which in turn threatens the society.

This was as he said one of the ingredients of overcoming the country’s security challenges and growing the country was information management.

The Speaker said these at the opening ceremony of a two-day national conference on information with the theme: ‘Information as a Strategic Tool for National Development,’ organised by the House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values in Abuja, yesterday.

He said deliberate measures under the law needed to be taken to mitigate effects of such development on the journey to achieving a perfect union of the diverse cultures and religious of Nigeria.

Gbajabiamila said: “As we undertake this crucial assignment today, I would like for us to keep a few things in mind.
“First is that right now, across the length and breadth of our beloved country, we are besieged by several security challenges that strike at the very heart of our continued nationhood. “Triumphing over these challenges require overcoming our differences in politics and religion, tribe and ethnicity, and building a national alliance against the forces that threaten us. Information management is central to success in this regard.

We have to do better at making sure that citizens understand the nature of the problems we face and are kept informed of our wins and losses and the sacrifices made by those who do battle on our behalf.

Secondly, as technology and new media have democratised public debate to benefit citizens and nations, it has also created the ideal conditions for bad actors to spread misinformation and manipulate people in ways that threaten our societies. In Nigeria, with our diverse cultures and religions still working towards achieving a more perfect union, hate speech and other forms of misinformation and disinformation can quickly have a devastating real-world effect.

Therefore, countering misinformation by whatever proper and legal means are available is not a theoretical question but a responsibility that goes to the heart of our ability to continue to exist as one nation in peace, unity and prosperity.

The Speaker, however warned against taking action that would suppress free expression and robust public debate on social issues.

Let us be aware that in trying to prevent the worst consequences of misinformation and hate speech, there is a danger of going too far in ways that smother the marketplace of ideas and deprive citizens of their free speech rights.

That would be most unfortunate, and as leaders and government policymakers, we must avoid that outcome by all means. To do that, we must focus on building legal systems and protocols that support free expression and robust public debate whilst holding to account those who in service of their narrow interests will seek to subvert our societies and harm our country using choreographed and mischievously curated misinformation,

he added.

In his goodwill message, the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom, Mr. Moses Ekpo said means of fake news, hate speeches and misinformation, were being daily compromised.

Ekpo, who was represented by Hon. Aniekan Umanah said when government fails to speak up in order to counter such misinformation and hate speeches, the body language of such inaction in high places becomes even louder in it incendiary decibel.

The result of this, according to the deputy governor was avoidable deaths which he said were being recorded daily in all parts of the country.

He said,

And the worst of all for national harmony, cohesion and development, are the incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers, unknown gunmen, so-called bandits as well as inter-ethnic tension arising from the activities of these “faceless” groups.

The question as to who is a journalist must be posed with a new kind of vehemence. This is so because in discussing the deployment of the information tool towards national development, we should be definite about the human agency of such deployment would that also include the online blogger and the other assortments of social media information carriers over whom there is currently no control?

In Akwa Ibom State, the state chapter of the NUJ has come up with an electronic register of duly certified journalists in the state. I recommend this in states where it is not yet done.

Such register and the data it provides are a critical first step in the admittedly monumental workload ahead of us in separating the real from the fake journalist, and thereby narrowing down the focus of accountability regarding the effect of information on national development.

Earlier, in his address, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, National Orientation and Ethics and Values, Hon. Olusegun Odegbumi said proper information management needed to be given the right consideration to discourage hate speech.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.