Buhari Appoints Malami, Lai, Keyamo, Others As Team To Engage Twitter Over Suspension

President  Muhammadu Buhari has approved the composition of a federal government team to engage Twitter over its suspension in Nigeria.

Segun Adeyemi, special assistant to the president on media, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday.

According to Adeyemi, Lai Mohammed, minister of information, announced that the decision came after Twitter wrote to the president seeking an engagement.

In June, the federal government suspended Twitter alleging that the microblogging site was being used to undermine the existence of Nigeria.

It subsequently said the suspension will only be lifted if the platform can be used “responsibly”.

The team, which will be chaired by Mohammed, includes Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation; Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy; Geoffery Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs; Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labour and employment.

Mohammed said “other relevant government agencies” will also be part of the team.

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“President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the composition of the Federal Government’s Team to engage with Twitter over the recent suspension of the operations of the microblogging and social social networking service in Nigeria,” the statement said.

“The approval was announced in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who will chair the team. The Federal Government’s team also comprises the Attorney General of the Federation and Honourable Minister of Justice, Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Honourable Minister of State for Labour and Employment as well as other relevant government agencies.

“Following the indefinite suspension of its operations in Nigeria, for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence, Twitter wrote to President Buhari seeking to engage with the Federal Government over the suspension, with a view to charting a path forward.”

(This story excluding headline contains information from The Cable)