Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has urged the Federal Government to impose measures limiting the misuse of social media, warning that unchecked circulation of false information poses a threat to the nation’s development.
The News Chronicle gathered that the governor made this appeal on Friday in Abakaliki while receiving the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, at the State Executive Council Chamber during the minister’s inspection tour of federal projects in the state.
Nwifuru stressed that the government’s intention was not to stifle the voices of young people but to shield them from the damaging consequences of misinformation and fabricated online reports.
“It is high time we put serious restrictions especially on unfounded stories. You go to social media and see posts declaring someone dead while the person is hale and hearty, yet the writer faces no sanction. This is not how a country should operate,” Nwifuru said.
He also encouraged the Federal Government to expand youth engagement in hands-on agricultural ventures, pointing out that hunger and joblessness often fuel online hostility and the spread of fake news.
Speaking on the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the governor lamented that the work of several ministries was not receiving adequate media attention, creating a perception that only the Ministries of Works and the Federal Capital Territory were delivering results.
Nwifuru described the appointment of an Igbo man as Minister of Works for the first time since independence as historic, praising the incumbent, Chief David Umahi, for his dynamism and dedication.
“He left his signature in Ebonyi which will be very hard for anybody to erase and we are proud and confident that he will leave same signature in the Federal Ministry of Works,” the governor said.
He expressed optimism that Tinubu’s achievements in infrastructure and human capital development across the country would secure his return to office in 2027, assuring the president of Ebonyi State’s unwavering support.
The governor also commended the president for initiating the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which he said had already benefited over 400,000 students. He highlighted Ebonyi’s postgraduate scholarship programme, designed to sponsor indigenes for Master’s and Doctoral studies both locally and abroad.
According to Nwifuru, the state government has made notable investments in improving school facilities and increasing the number of teachers in secondary schools to boost the standard of education.
