Former House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole, on Saturday, advocated for a positive use of social media.
He was speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at the 16th Annual Ramadan Lecture jointly organized by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and Voice of Nigeria (VON).
The topic of the lecture, which took place at the Lumana Multipurpose Centre Kaduna, was Social Media: Effects on Morality.
Bankole said social media is not the cause of Nigeria’s problems, saying there should be a proper understanding of the difference between causes and effects.
“Without a diagnosis, we cannot begin to proffer solutions to Nigeria’s problems,” he said, adding that “At this point in our history, I will advice that we should not confuse causes and effects, symptoms and consequences.”
noting that two people may go the hospital with headache, but the treatment may differ because one of the patients may also have high blood pressure.
He said “Islam is a wonderful religion, which is not complicated at all. It has solved problems from day one till now, yet the Quran is still the same book, irrespective of different developments in this world, we still apply it and it gives us solutions.”
The former speaker sympathised with the people of Kaduna State over the recent security challenges in the state and called for prayers, especially “in this month of Ramadan.”
Earlier, the guest speaker amd JAMB Registrar Prof Ishaq Oloyede said Muslims should be guided by the dictates of their religion in using social media.
Oloyede, represented by Ustaz Isa Friday Okonkwo, said, “The most unpopular stand any Nigerian could take today is to canvass for the regulation of social media usage.
“It is not in doubt that there are many benefits of social media if properly controlled. It has served as a check on leadership as everything is now in the public domain.
“Increase in economic opportunities and other benefits of the Social Media are evident but the button line is that government must strengthen its regulatory and oversight capabilities.
“Due to their inexperience, credulity and gullibility, the youth can pick up bad ideas and perceptions as they do not have the ability to separate truth from fiction.
“Youthful age is a time for identity to form. If not properly regulated, Social Media can freeze identities in time and so prevent natural formation especially in this age and time when common sense is no longer common.”
Oloyede’s paper was summarised in Hausa by Prof Ismaila Shehu of the Department of Political Science, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria.
Also speaking, Kaduna based Islamic scholar Dr Ahmad Gumi said like every other thing, social media has its positives and negatives, and called on Muslims to take the positives and dump the negatives.
