Monday 30 June 2014

#BringBackOurGirls# Hash-tag Generates 2m Signatures



As Nigerian groups and individuals continue to mount pressure on government through social media platform to rescue the over 200 Secondary School Girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram sect in Chibok, the #BringBackOurGirls# hash tag had already generated over 2 million signatures.

Co-debator at a monthly public debate organised by Speakers’ Corner Trust Nigeria (SCTN), Ms. Viola Okolie, who said the link remains the most retweeted, noted that the social media platform was a veritable tool to galvanise change, adding that it gives the people opportunity to air their views on government policies.


Okolie, while canvassing the view that  social media could be used as a catalyst for change and put the government on its toes, cautioned against spreading unverified information via the social media platforms.
“As at last week #bring back our girls# hash tag as generated 2 million signatures”; she said, noting that it had shown that the social media could forced government to take actions that would drive a change and also make it accountable to the people that voted them into power.


Reacting, Mr. Stanley Bentu said the lack of control and regulation of social media made it more dangerous, stressing that variety of information could be given out without teaching the audience how to process it, thus leading to violent protest.
He posited that though the social media was a veritable tool for creating awareness but not a catalyst for change as it, and pointed out that a media that was too loose and volatile could not be relied on as a tool for change.

Chairman, Board of Directors of the group, Dr. Timiebi Koripemo-Agary, said human engagement makes a lot of difference in getting to people emotionally and psychologically, adding that the Boko Haram sect was fighting the wrong people by kidnapping the Chibok girls as their parents are not in government.



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