The Special Assistant to President
Muhammadu Buhari on digital and New media, Tolu Ogunlesi, has opened up in Abuja on Monday about the federal
government’s plan on website, YouTube.
The Federal Government is set to establish a website and reactivate its YouTube account, to provide access to the public for authentic
information on its activities.
Mr Tolu Ogunlesi, Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on digital and New media told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday that that the
YouTube account would be reactivated very soon while the website would be ready by
the end of June.
“We have a YouTube account; it has not been active but one of the things we are working on over the next few weeks is to reactivate the page and upload our videos.
“Meanwhile, our videos go to twitter and face book but after reactivation, we are going to make sure all those videos go on to our YouTube.
“On the website, it will be a one stop shop, where people can have free access to authentic information about Federal
Government’s pronouncements, activities, policies and programmes.”
The government’s target was the end of second quarter in June by which the website would be up for people to find all the government information they need.
“However, we have since set up official Federal Government social media platforms on twitter, Face book and naira land; we
have an official facebook account, facebook.com/asovilla.
“We put up information regularly and speedily on those platforms; that is our job and we will continue to do more,” he said.
The Presidential aide emphasised that other government ministries and agencies were rising up to the task of being active on social media and giving information the
citizens needed.
“We have Ministry of Health, the Centre for Disease Control, the EFCC, NDDC and others
doing a lot of fantastic jobs and giving out authentic information on their social media
platforms.”
On circulation of fake news, Ogunseli raised concerns on the activities of some bloggers
and unpatriotic people circulating such news about government and some individuals.
According to him, fake news has negative effects on both government and some individuals in the society whose integrity is
being destroyed by such news.
The presidential aide, however, said that it was not possible to block the circulation of
fake news on the internet.
”That is the reason the government is providing its social media platforms for
people to get authentic information as an alternative to sites that spread fake and
unpatriotic news,” he added.
Ogunlesi called on civil society organisations, journalists, media houses and citizens to
discourage the circulation of fake news.
