NAN-H-2
Hate-Speech
By Yakabu Uba
Yola, Nov. 30, 2017 (NAN) The American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, will represent Nigeria for the second time in the Facebook Peer-To-Peer (P2P) Global Digital Challenge for universities aimed at countering online hate and extremism.
The Coordinator of P2P in the university, Mr Ibanga Isine, made this known in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola on Thursday.
Isine recalled that the institution represented Nigeria in the last edition and came second after Bangladesh, adding that it had earlier won the Africa edition of the challenge held in Accra, Ghana.
According to Isine, research carried out by students in the course of the campaign showed that religion, politics and ethnicity were the major drivers of hate and radical comments in the country.
The coordinator said such hate and radical comments occurred mostly on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.
“To counter it, we conceived a theme: ‘I stand for Nigeria and a slogan ‘ome and stand with me’ for our campaign,” he said.
Isine said that AUN had been carrying out the campaign through joint rallies with other tertiary institutions across the state and through activities on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, radio and television.
He said the campaign targeted millions of young people and other Nigerians across religious, political and ethnic divides.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that AUN’s latest campaign was in Moddibo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH), Yola, which attracted a large number of students.
The participants used the occasion to reiterate their commitment to the fight against hate speech.
Meanwhile, Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, has endorsed the campaign.
Adesina in telephone chat, told the campaign coordinator that he resolutely supported the initiative.
Urging Nigerians to abhor hate and extremist comments, the presidential spokesman called for a united and indivisible Nigeria.
“I stand for Nigeria; I stand for one united and indivisible country, one in which we love one another.
“I stand for Nigeria in which we respect one another’s religion and in one in which we respect another’s ethnic origin and background.
“I stand resolutely against hate speech and I stand against anything that has the slightest affinity to hate speech.
“I urge Nigerians to love and respect one another. This is the only country we have. If we mess it up, then we have messed up not only ourselves but our future and the future of our children.
“Things may be hard. Things may be tough. Things may not be exactly the way we want them to be.
“I believe we are on the way to a better Nigeria. Join me to stand for Nigeria,” Adesina said. (NAN)
YMU/EMO
Edited by Ejike Obeta