Mimiko warns against anti social media bills

The Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko has cautioned against any law that will impede the gains currently being recorded with the judicious use of the social media.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum on Information Communication Technology in Akure at weekend, Mimiko who posited that the positive economic impact of the internet is well known, observed that mobile and internet platforms have increased access to improved agriculture, education, health, and governance services, adding that beyond these, Information Communication Technology can also generate transformative growth that creates sustainable pathways to youths.

He said the social media has opened up a plethora of opportunities for the younger generation, who have embraced it whole heartedly, using it to have their voice heard and their products seen globally.

“We must not hinder such opportunities through bills such as the Social Media Bill, we risk alienating a significant part of our population by stifling their rights to express their views and challenge conventional wisdom.”

The Governor offered however, that “our focus should be on supporting the vibrant social media now evident in Nigeria and empower the youth to use the social media in the most effective and responsible manner”.
He mentioned that his government had deployed ICT tools in virtually all of its engagements, beginning with Primary Education, health care among others.

He said his government’s Residency Card – ‘Kaadi Igbe Ayo’ initiative for instance, is a multi-purpose smartcard that is helping a great deal to democratize access to all the good things of life.

“As I state at my second term inauguration on February 24, 2013, ‘our job is not finished until every child has access to quality education in a 21st Century environment that is deliberately-structured to bridge the global digital divide and take our children to the cyberspace where information and knowledge now truly reside,” the Governor said.