The Nigerian government says it will study the ruling of the community court of justice of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) over the suspension of Twitter in the country.
Special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina briefed newsmen at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President muhammadu buhari at the presidential Villa in abuja .
The ECOWAS court had on Tuesday, issued a restraining order stopping the federal government from unlawfully imposing sanctions, arresting, or prosecuting anyone still using Twitter in the country.
Adesina said: “On the ECOWAS Court’s verdict on Nigeria’s Twitter ban, the Attorney-General of the Federation is going to study that report and then he’ll advise government on the way forward. The committee set up by the President to engage with Twitter is meanwhile holding a meeting towards engaging with Twitter”
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Also at the cabinet meeting, the council approved that the second peer review country’s self assessment to be carried out by the African union development agency in collaboration with the new partnership for Africa’s development ( AUDA-NEPAD)
Adesina said: “The only thing of interest I would like to talk about is the second Peer Review Country’s Self-assessment Report.
Nigeria is ready for the second Peer Review Country Self -assessment Report to be done by AUDA-NEPAD. I think the last self-assessment report was done 10 years ago in Nigeria, now Nigeria is ready for the second review self-assessment report.
It’s been discussed that the Council and the President has granted the approval that that peer review report can be conducted on Nigeria.
Actually, if you have an insight into the report that was presented, which the woman in charge of NEPAD, Mrs. Akobundu, can give you. Nigeria has made progress in several areas and on several fronts. While 10 years ago, petroleum contributed more than 70%, even up to 90%, to GDP, you will find that today, petroleum contributes just about 45% and non-oil products contribute about 55% to the Nigerian economy.
So, if Nigeria had been talking of diversification for 40, 50, 60 years, the economy can now be said to be diversified because our GDP, non-oil revenue, contributes about 55% to 45% of oil.
So it’s one of the highlights of the Peer Review Country Self-assessment Report that was presented at the Council meeting today. And details can be gotten from the AUDA-NEPAD office.
When asked about the amendment to the Nigeria press council act and the National broadcasting act, Adesina said it’s not a presidency thing and that the president has nothing to do with it.
“That is not strictly a Presidency thing because the President has nothing to do with that. It’s a government thing and it’s the Minister that can talk about it”
Edited by Tunde Orebiyi