Social media giant Twitter has reacted to the decision by the Federal Government to lift the ban on the use of its platform in Nigeria. “We recently met with the Nigerian government to discuss why Twitter has been blocked and ways to resolve the matter,” a spokesperson for the microblogging site was quoted as saying by Reuters. “Our aim is to chart a path forward to the restoration of Twitter for everyone in Nigeria. We look forward to ongoing discussions with the Nigerian government and seeing the service restored very soon.” This followed the announcement by the Minister of information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, that the government would lift the ban on Twitter in a matter of days. Mohammed who briefed State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday revealed that the status of the conversation with the social media giant had gotten to an amicable stage. He explained that agreements had been reached in all areas, except three that have been unresolved. One of the pending issues centres on the condition that Twitter establishes a legal presence registered as a Nigerian company with an office address and an employee to serve as a country representative in Nigeria. Although Twitter did not turn down the condition in totality, it insists that the earliest time it can establish a company will be by 2022. insists that the earliest time it can establish a company will be by 2022. Twitter Operations Suspended Before the ban on the microblogging site, millions of Nigerians, including public office holders and institutions make use of the platform for various purposes. Just like every other user expressing a view or sharing information, President Muhammadu Buhari posted a tweet on June 1. The President who received security reports from the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the series of attacks on its facilities had threatened to treat Nigerians “misbehaving” in “the language they understand”. “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigeria Civil War. “Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand,” the Nigerian leader had said in his tweets. A screenshot of the President’s tweet that was deleted by Twitter. Barely a day after President Buhari tweeted, Twitter took down the post which it said violated its rules. Two days after the microblogging site took down the President’s tweet, the government announced that it had indefinitely suspended Twitter’s operations in the country. The persistent use of the platform for activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence was one of the reasons cited. But the government said it had nothing to do with the deleted tweet. It had also directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria. This sparked a widespread outcry from individuals and groups within the country, as well as members of the international community who asked the government to rescind its decision.

The federal executive council (FEC) has approved $2.5 million and N498.23 million for four power projects to boost the transmission and distribution of electricity supply in Nigeria. The power projects include the purchase and maintenance of transformers, circuit breakers, and other power equipment needed for maximum performance in substations across the country. Saleh Mamman, minister of power, announced this to state house correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting presided by Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday. A breakdown of the projects include, “the supply and installation of motorised portable hydraulic compressor for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in favour of Messrs Intern Equipment Nigeria Limited in the sum of $502,950 plus N15,800,000,” Mamman said. “The second approval was also received for the award of the contract for the supply and delivery of three sets of online partial discharge measurement and monitoring equipment for the TCN in favour of Messrs T and D Technology Limited in the sum of $874,800 offshore plus N240,100,000 onshore with a delivery period of nine months. “The third approval was the award of the contract for the repairs of 100 MVA and four sets of 60 MVA 132/33 power transformers for TCN in favour of GT Engineering Limited in the sum of $661,220 offshore and N127,758,781 onshore with a delivery period of 12 months. “On the last one, approval was also granted for the contract for procurement of 10 sets of 330 KV and 30 sets of 133 KV circuit breaker for the TCN in favour of Horsepower Engineering Trading Limited in the sum of $502,719 plus N114,571,500 with a delivery period of six months.” FEC had approved the construction of two power substations in Jigawa and Akwa Ibom worth N454 million and US$6.2 million respectively.

Mohammed Fawehinmi, the eldest son of late human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, is died. While details of his death are unclear, Channels Television gathered that he complained of difficulty in breathing on Wednesday morning. He was said to have been taken to the General Hospital in the Gbagada area of Lagos State where he was confirmed dead. Mohammed, who was a lawyer like his father, died at the age of 52. Although the family has yet to put out an official report, a lawyer close to the family explained that this was because Mohammed’s mother had not been informed of his death. Mohammed, a graduate of Business Administration of the University of Lagos (1991), obtained an LLB degree from the University of Buckingham, England, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1998. In 2003, he was involved in a car accident that affected his spinal cord and confined him to a wheelchair. Until his death, Mohammed was a social crusader who commented regularly on issues of human rights violation and the rule of law.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says the greatest nations in the world are multi-religious and multi-ethnic, and as such, threats to Nigeria’s unity must be resisted. The vice-president stated this on Wednesday, when a delegation of the Arewa Concerned People for National Unity and Religious Tolerance, a non-governmental organisation from Kano, paid him a courtesy visit at the presidential villa. In recent times, secession agitations have heightened in the southern region of the country. Speaking on the development, Osinbajo noted that great nations in the world have witnessed the challenges facing Nigeria, adding that there is a need to prevent threats to the country’s unity. “There is no great nation anywhere that has not had this sort of challenge, especially where you have a multi-racial, multi-religious setup. And the greatest nations in the world are multi-racial, multi-religious, and multi-ethnic,” Osinbajo was quoted as saying in a statement by Laolu Akande, his spokesperson. “As a matter of fact, some of these things are as important as the economy and security… for the reason that a united people, people who see themselves as one, are more likely to be economically successful, more likely to be able to secure themselves and secure their borders, and more likely to work together for the goodness and greatness of their people. “It is the duty of the leadership, not just political leadership, but also the leadership of social groups and organisations such as yours, to ensure that we are focused on these issues of unity and tolerance. “As you know, religious tolerance and unity is, for me, a matter that goes beyond mere advocacy. I believe very strongly that the greatness of nations, wherever those nations may be, have always been on account of leaders who thought it fit to build those nations on the basis of unity and tolerance. “I think that it is such an important issue that we cannot afford to discount it. There is a need for us to pay more time and attention to these issues in whatever way we can because every once in a while, we see some threats to the unity of our country, and we must not allow it to happen at all. “We must continue, not just in the advocacy, but in action that will bring about unity and religious tolerance.”