Okonjo-Iweala Weighs In On Why Twitter Banned Trump

Related stories

Drama as 16, 17-year-olds Now Allowed to Vote In UK Elections

By Abiola Olawale  The government of the United Kingdom announced...

Brazil’s Petrobras Weighs Return to Retail Fuel Market to Reduce Prices

Brazil’s Petrobras will discuss this week tweaking its mid-to-long-term...

Base Handover: France Ends Decades-Long Military Presence in Senegal

By Abiola Olawale France on Thursday officially ended its 65-year...

By Abiola Olawale

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigerian minister of finance and a member of Twitter board, has weighed in on why outgoing U.S President Donald Trump was banned from Twitter.

Okonjo-Iweala, who emerged among the two top candidates for the position of Director-General (DG) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said Trump was axed from the microblogging platform because he broke some laid down rules by Twitter, which led to the permanent suspension of his account.

Okonjo-Iweala said this in an interview with Arise Television, Friday. She said, “Twitter tries to help the public conversation in the world and gives people a means to engage on important issues. Being on the Twitter board, I have to respect our rules for communications on what is happening. I have to be very honest that we as a board agreed that we have a team that will deal with this, to make sure we have one voice.

“But, I can tell you that if you want to know why the decisions were taken, please look at the statement by the CEO, Jack Dorsey, I think it tells you all you want to know. Twitter is an organization that has rules under which it operates, and if you read what it puts out, you will see that things are being implemented according to the rules,” she said.

It would be recalled that Trump’s Twitter was suspended for allegedly inciting violence on his account. Following the suspension, the Chairman Executive Officer (CEO) of Twitter, Jack Dorsey released a statement on his Twitter account.

Dorsey said, “I do not celebrate or feel pride in our having to ban @realDonaldTrump from Twitter, or how we got here. After a clear warning we’d take this action, we made a decision with the best information we had based on threats to physical safety both on and off Twitter. Was this correct?. I believe this was the right decision for Twitter. We faced an extraordinary and untenable circumstance, forcing us to focus all of our actions on public safety. Offline harm as a result of online speech is demonstrably real, and what drives our policy and enforcement above all. That said, having to ban an account has real and significant ramifications. While there are clear and obvious exceptions, I feel a ban is a failure of ours ultimately to promote healthy conversation. And a time for us to reflect on our operations and the environment around us.”

Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian economist and International development expert.

She is a former Nigerian minister of finance. She served under the ministry two times, 2003-2006 under the administration of former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo and 2011-2015 under the administration of former President, Goodluck Jonathan.

Okonjo-Iweala is currently vying for the postion of DG of WTO. She is facing opposition from South Korea’s Too Myung-hee. Okonjo-Iweala is part of many board members of international organizations. She sits on the boards of the Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), Twitter, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) and African Risk Capacity (ARC).

'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
2027: Buhari’s exit Cripples APC in entire North as CPC Loyalists Defect in Large NumbersDrama as 16, 17-year-olds Now Allowed to Vote In UK ElectionsSenate passes $9 billion in spending cuts to public broadcasting, foreign aid requested by TrumpBrazil’s Petrobras Weighs Return to Retail Fuel Market to Reduce PricesBase Handover: France Ends Decades-Long Military Presence in Senegal5 Oil Titans Who Revolutionized the Energy Sector2027: Dele Momodu dumps PDP for Coalition party, ADCBuhari's Honour: Tinubu holds special FEC session as Nigerians Mourn late Hero, Statesman. First Bank Crisis: In High-Stake Intrigues, Otedola Seizes Control with 40% Stake as Oba Otudeko Exits in N324.47bn DealElderstatesman, Emeka Anyaoku, Speaks Again , Urges Nigeria to Adopt a "People’s Democratic Constitution""Nigeria's challenges not about the constitution, but its operators", says ObasanjoNigeria Surpasses OPEC’s 1.5 Million Barrel Oil Quota in June 2025Natasha vs Akpabio: Senate President Heads to Court, Challenges Court Order to Reinstate SenatorOluwo Commends Awujale's Burial, Says Late Monarchs Shouldn't Be "Butchered Like Animals"Alleged N6.9Billion Fraud: Drama as Ex-Governor Fayose Wins in Court
X whatsapp