Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has appealed to commissioners of Information in the 36 states of the federation to launch the fight against fake news and hate speech in their various states.
While speaking at the 47th meeting of the National Council on Information (NCI), yesterday in Kaduna, the minister said fake news and hate speech constitutes the biggest threat to the 2019 elections.
He explained that fake news and hate speech has the capacity to alter the course of the 2019 election and trigger legitimacy problem for the winner. He also said that the menace has the capacity to trigger violence.
According to the minister fake news, mixed with hate speech is a disaster waiting to happen.
The minister noted that while the country’s constitution guarantees freedom of speech, it does not guarantee freedom of hate speech.
He said, “This issue transcends political party lines, religion, ethnicity, and even nationality. Left unchecked, fake news and hate speech constitute the biggest threat to the forthcoming elections. We are not just saying it now, we said so as far back as 2017. And I have always said that hate speech is not free speech.”
He further noted that the war against fake news and hate speech which was launched on 11th July 2018, was not for the federal government alone, but for all tiers of government.
“It is for all tiers of government. Therefore, I expect that the Honourable commissioners who are here will launch the campaign in their various states,” he stated.
Mohammed observed that the theme of the conference, “Tackling Fake News and Hate Speech to Enhance Peace and National Unity” is very fitting and most timely, as it coincides with the preparation of the 2019 general election.
“I said most timely because with the 2019 general elections just a little over 60 days away, there is no issue that is more relevant to the election than the issue of fake news and hate speech,” he said.
While commending some media outfits and the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) on their efforts in combating fake news, the minister said organisations without thorough check run the risk of losing public confidence.
“Permit me to commend the media, some agencies of government and even civil society organisations which have organised workshops and conferences to sensitise the nation on this topical issue. The Nigeria Union of Journalists, the umbrella body for journalists in this country, devoted its 2018 National Conference to the issue of hate speech. The media will bear the brunt, if the people lose confidence in them because of fake news. This is why the media must lead this campaign,” the minister noted.
He however urged Nigerians to verify sources of information before sharing on their various social media platforms.
