The Joint Minority Caucus of the Senate and the House of Representatives, has urged Nigerians to keep tweeting and disregard the threat of the federal government to arrest and prosecute Nigerians using twitter.

The caucus argued Nigerians are not going against any law by using the Twitter microblogging platform.

This position was contained in a communique signed by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe the Minority Leader of the Senate) and Hon. Ndudi Elumelu the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

In the statement, The caucus cited the provisions of articles 19 and 20 of the United Nations Charter on Fundamental Human Rights, which Nigeria is a signatory to, as well as provisions of Sections 39 and 36 (12) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), noting that by these provisions no one will be violating any law for using twitter in Nigeria.

The lawmakers expressed their displeasure at the unfortunate situation that has stopped a lot of Nigerians, especially the youth from using Twitter to access earn their means of livelihood.

The joint caucus, therefore, called on Nigerians to use various opportunities offered by technology and continue making use of Twitter since such does not violate any law in our country.

“It is agonizing that Nigeria and Nigerians have been losing billions of naira on a daily basis since the ban on Twitter. This is completely unacceptable as it is worsening the already biting economic hardship and frightening unemployment level in the country.

“Moreover, the ban on Twitter in Nigeria appears to be in favour of criminal and terrorist elements, whose activities fester in an environment of suppressed information flow.

“The Joint Minority Caucus sympathizes with the organized private sector, manufacturing and service providing companies, small and medium enterprises, online business owners and other hardworking entrepreneurs across the country, whose genuine business and means of livelihood have been crippled by the unwarranted ban on Twitter by the APC federal government,” the statement partly reads.

The caucus also identified with our students, research-based organization, media houses, the organized civil society, faith-based organizations, community groups among others, whose information-based activities have been violently disrupted by the ban.

In the same vein, the Joint Caucus sympathized with regional, states, local government as well as members of the international community, whose genuine and constructive activities have been crippled by the prohibition of twitter in Nigeria

It also identified with traditional rulers, who have even found Twitter as a means of communicating with the constituents, especially in this era of insecurity in the country.

The Joint Caucus vehemently berated the APC-led government for abandoning its duty of addressing the serious economic and security problems confronting our nation to rather focus on dissipating energy victimizing Nigerians over their disagreement with Twitter for deleting a post by an individual.

The Caucus counseled the Federal Government to swallow its pride, accept its misdoing and go and settle whatever issue it has with Twitter instead of this resort to inflicting pains on Nigerians.

Yinusu Ahmed, member of All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus in the house of representatives, says the suspension of Twitter by the Nigeria government is yielding positive results.

He said the activities of Nigerians on the microblogging platform have been heating up the polity, but that the dust is settling as the suspension lingers.

Ahmed said this on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme on Wednesday.

“Given the situation and the scenario, I support the ban of Twitter 100 percent,” he said.

“The government has the constitutional right to do that when the security of the country is breached, these people using Twitter either for trading or for marketing, if war breaks out, where will you be doing your business?”

The Federal Government last Friday suspended the operations of Twitter, the microblogging and social networking service, in Nigeria.

Lai Mohammed, Minister of information, announced the indefinite suspension in a statement.

According to the statement, the minister cited “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence”.

The action of the federal government has since generated outrage as many people lament the illegality of the ban and its adverse economic effects on the country.

But Ahmed like many other APC and government cronies expressed why the ban is in the best interest of the country.

He continued, “So we are trying to be proactive. I think Nigerians should be able to wait for 10 days for things to be put into perspective rather than allow Twitter to run freely.

“To me personally, I think we need to preserve the nation first. We believe Twitter has contributed a lot to heating up the state of our polity.

“For us to take a little time so that we can create an enabling environment. That suspension has started yielding results. The ban has yielded results, so to me we have no regret whatsoever.”

In reaction, Solomon Maren, member of the PDP caucus in the house of representatives, said if the president feels offended by the actions of Twitter, he should engage an international court rather than oppress Nigerians.

“I think if the president feels like what he wrote was right, he should take up the matter with Twitter,” he said.

“He can sue them in an international court but not bring the matter and visit it on Nigerians who are legitimately doing their businesses.

“As Nigerians, I believe this is the area we must speak out and condemn what is condemnable. Whatever affects Nigerians affects us.”