Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Telecommunication operators in Nigeria have blocked access to Twitter after the government slammed an indefinite ban on the social media platform on Friday.
The telcos, under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said there has been a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to block Nigerians from accessing the platform.
A statement jointly signed by ALTON Chairman and Executive Secretary, Gbenga Adebayo and Gbolahan Awonuga confirmed this.
Checks by The Guardian confirmed that access to the Twitter platform has been blocked.
“We, the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) wish to confirm that our members have received formal instructions from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator to suspend access to Twitter,” ALTON said in the statement.
“ALTON has conducted a robust assessment of the request in accordance with internationally accepted principles.
“Based on national interest provisions in the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, and within the licence terms under which the industry operates; our members have acted in compliance with the directives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) the industry regulator.
“We will continue to engage all the relevant authorities and stakeholders and will act as may be further directed by the NCC.
“We remain committed to supporting the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and upholding the rights of citizens.
“As an industry, we endorse the position of the United Nations that the rights held by people offline must also be protected online. This includes respecting and protecting the rights of all people to communicate, to share information freely and responsibly, and to enjoy privacy and security regarding their data and their use of digital communications.”
Source: Guardian Nigeria
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