The Federal Government through the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has accused the Canadian government as well as a micro-blogging site, Twitter of double standard on the action taken to quell the truckers protest ongoing in Canada.
Mohammed who spoke at a media briefing in Oro, in Kwara state, on Sunday blasted the Canadian government and Twitter for being hypocritical in dealing with protesters in the country.
The minister recalled that during the #EndSARS protest which hit Nigeria in October, 2021, the Canadian government was quick to condemn the action of the Nigerian government despite the fact that the protests culminated to destruction of private and public properties.
Likening the #EndSARS protest to the truckers protest, Mohammed accused Canadian government of double standards, adding that the country who supported the 2020 EndSARS protest is now clamping down on ongoing trucker’s protests in the north American country.
Some individuals in Canada had moved to shut down the country following the COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions in the country.
The protest which began on January 22 was aimed at campaigning against the vaccine mandate policy imposed by the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for truckers entering the country from America.
In a bid to force the protesters to back down Jim Watson, the Mayor of Ottawa, the capital city of Canada declared a state of emergency in the city on the grounds the protests posed a threat to residents’ safety.
Similarly, after the protest organizers had raised about 10 million Canadian dollars, about $7.8 million, through GoFundMe for the “Freedom Convoy” cause, the company shut down the campaign and said it would refund the rest of the money to donors, citing “violence and other unlawful activity” during the demonstrations.
Reacting to the development during a news briefing on Sunday, the Minister said “the Canadian protesters, who have blockaded roads and resorted to inconveniencing others, have been branded as terrorists or insurrectionists and subjected to a number of clampdowns by government and private organisations.”
He continued, “Jim Watson, the Mayor of Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, has also declared a state of emergency in the city in response, saying the protests posed a threat to residents’ safety.
“Recall, gentlemen, that during the EndSARS protest, which culminated in the blockage of public roads and massive destruction of government and private property, Canada was one of the countries that spoke out in support of the protesters.
“Recall also that Twitter actively supported the EndSars protesters and even helped them to raise fund while GoFundMe was used to raise funds for the protests.
“This is similar to what played out during the January 6th 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol In Washington, D.C. where those involved are either still being investigated or have been charged to court. I don’t blame them. Nobody wants their country destroyed under the guise of protests.
“Don’t misunderstand this intervention. We are not gloating over the unfortunate development in Canada. But we are only calling attention to the double standards involved in the way protesters deemed to be violent are perceived in Nigeria and in the West.
“Those who referred to the hoodlums who destroyed public and private property in Nigeria under the guise of EndSARS as peaceful protesters have tagged similar protesters in their own countries as insurrectionists and terrorists. This glaring double standard should not be lost on all Nigerians.
“We have always said that you must have a country before you can even enjoy the freedoms guaranteed by your country’s constitution. If there is no Nigeria, no one will be talking of freedom of expression or freedom of association and the likes.
“This realisation explains why every country goes the extra mile to protect and preserve itself. And this also explains why we have continued to insist on the regulation of social media to ensure responsible content. In this area, I can confidently say we are far ahead of most countries in the world, who have now realized that social media must be regulated in the interest of their own people.
“In this regard, our successful negotiation with Twitter to fashion out measures to ensure responsible use of that platform which, by the way, will also apply to other social media platforms, has made us a global trailblazer in efforts to prevent harmful content from social media platforms
“Gentlemen, we must not allow anyone to destroy our country under the guise of protest or unbridled freedoms. We all must put Nigeria first at all times,” he added.
