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Soyinka: Nigerians, most noxious abusers of social media
Professor Soyinka
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has declared that the most noxious abusers of social media in the world are Nigerians.
Soyinka who added that he has kept off the social media because of the ‘fictions’ that goes on there said this while responding to questions from a team of TheNEWS magazine in a special interview ( Read the fill interview HERE to mark his 90th birthday.
Soyinka said he came to the conclusion after he studied how citizens of other countries are using the social media.
He added that some scientific studies have also confirmed his findings.
The Nobel Laureate however said the social media is a democratic instrument and a way must be found to rescue it from trolls.
Soyinka noted that while he was not on social media, people send him links from the platforms regularly.
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He repeated his assertions many years ago that social media may be the cause of the third world war as it has become a platform for spreading disinformation.
What’s your take on the misuse of social media in Nigeria and the world?
Soyinka said, “I am going to repeat just what I said in Cairo, which led, incidentally, to my ‘’throat being jumped.’’ Every society has its lunatic fringe. Let’s begin with that. I have studied and compared, out of curiosity, the use of social media by Eastern European countries, India, Ethiopia and several other countries.
“There has been some scientific study which confirms my study: the most noxious abusers of social media are Nigerians. I said it in Cairo. I repeat it here. It is grounded on solid study and we have to find a way of rescuing social media from the trolls. This is a democratic instrument. And I know the role some of us played in getting us to this stage of democratising Nigeria.
“I stay off social media, but somebody sends me links from time to time, so I can’t stay off it entirely. After the Cairo event, a link from a platform was sent to me. It said, Wole Soyinka went to Cairo and began abusing social media because social media is now criticising him. That is what it feels like. It is only when he is being criticised that he now sees that social media is not good and so on.
“This ignorant character is unaware that ten years back I made a statement that if there is a third world war, it will be as a result of the misuse of social media. And abuser will prove to be a Nigerian.
“It is so self-evident. I wonder how anybody can argue about it. Because of the fiction that goes on, on social media, I just stay out of it. The late Pius Adesanmi was one of the finest, most intelligent users of social media.
“Unfortunately, some idiots dominate the medium now. Social media has made itself the tool for the perpetuation of what we all suffered under Sani Abacha. Regurgitating the vile propaganda put out by that psychopath, using Abiola Ogundokun’s Conscience International, to smear and destroy those who opposed his regime.
