The Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has begged the Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to place a ban on Nigerian youths from making use of social media. This, he said will help to curb the half-truths being peddled on the social media by the youths.
The Governor urged the President to intensify efforts to engage youths in practical agriculture, noting that hunger and idleness drive online anger and misinformation by the youths.
Nwifuru made this disclosure while addressing the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who was on a courtesy visit to the Governor in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital on Friday.
The Minister and his entourage were in the State for a tour of federal projects in Ebonyi State.
According to the Governor, engagement of youths in practical agriculture would properly channel their energy and potentials in meaningful ventures. And deter them from engaging in destructive social media activities.
Nwifuru posited that the imposition of restrictions on social media would check the spread of unfounded information about national development.
He stated that while the government was not out to control the youth, it had a responsibility to protect them from misinformation and the negative impact of false social media reports.
“While growing up as a young man, it was always a thing of joy to own a farm but these days, youths hardly engage in agricultural activities.
“It is high time we put serious restrictions especially on unfounded stories.
“You go to social media and see posts declaring someone dead, while the person is hale and hearty, yet the writer faces no sanction. This is not how a country should operate,” Nwifuru said.
Praising President Tinubu’s efforts in national development, Nwifuru stated that the activities of several ministries were underreported. A development that has given the impression that only the ministries of works and the Federal Capital Territory were active.
The Governor, while hailing President Tinubu for the appointment of an Ebonyi son, David Umahi as the Minister of Works, noted that it is the first time since Nigeria’s independence in 1960 that an Igbo man was appointed minister of works.
Nwifuru described the current Works Minister, David Umahi, as vibrant and committed.
He said, “He left his signature in Ebonyi State which will be hard for anybody to erase. And we are proud and confident that he will leave the same signature in the Federal Ministry of Works.”
Nwifuru expressed confidence that with Tinubu’s achievements in physical infrastructure and human capital development that cut across the length and breadth of the country, his re-election in 2027 was guaranteed.
This is as the Ebonyi Governor pledged the full support of Ebonyi people in achieving the reelection of President Tinubu in 2027.
Nwifuru also lauded Tinubu for establishing the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which he said attracted over 400,000 student beneficiaries. An initiative that aligns with Ebonyi’s own postgraduate scholarship scheme that is aimed at training indigenes at master’s and doctorate levels in local and foreign universities.
The Governor added that Ebonyi State had improved infrastructure and staffing in secondary schools to raise the quality of education.
In his earlier speech, the Minister, Idris told Nwifuru that they were in Ebonyi State to engage with the people of the State on what the present administration under President Tinubu was doing to enhance the economy and standard of living in Nigeria.
Idris noted that the team would also inspect ongoing Federal Government’s projects in the State.
This was as he stated that the present administration introduced the NELFUND programme to help the poor and vulnerable Nigerian students have access higher education.
Idris pointed out that over 400,000 students have enrolled into the programme while government had approved over N86 billion for the smooth running of the NELFUND programme.
“This is one of such programmes that President Tinubu has designed for all Nigerians to participate. You don’t have to know anybody to be a beneficiary of the programme,” the Minister revealed.
source: Wazobia FM, Abuja