“Don’t Insult Goodluck Jonathan on Facebook” – Youth Group

If there is any platform that has provided Nigerians the opportunity to throw darts at leaders who are not meeting the expectations of the people in recent times, it is social media. The most commonly used sites being Facebook and Twitter.

Only last week, President Goodluck Jonathan came under serious attack by lots of Nigerians after he posted his Christmas message on Facebook. Lots of his Facebook friends accused him of unfulfilled promises and pointed out lots of the problems bedevilling the country.

However, a group called the Niger Delta Youth Initiative for Positive Change, has risen to his defense. The group has appealed to Nigerian youths to desist from insulting the country’s President on Facebook and other social media. They added that some Nigerians had taken delight in using abusive words against President Goodluck Jonathan, adding that such attitude was not common in other countries.

According to Punch, the National Coordinator of the group, David Ato, who made this call while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Friday, explained that President Jonathan meant well for Nigerians.

He said people using abusive words against the President should realise that Jonathan did not create the economic and political problems facing the country.

“The youth should desist from using abusive words against the President of the country. We should learn how to respect our leaders and we need to support him because we elected him into that office.

“Insulting him on Facebook and other social media is not the best. The truth is that Nigeria has been facing a lot of economic and political problems for a long time. President Jonathan did not create these problems.”

He, however, urged the President to begin to deliver on his election promises in 2013, adding that Nigerians were waiting anxiously to see the manifestation of his transformation agenda.

This news has created a huge debate online as many argue that people use social media to attack their leaders in other countries contrary to what Ato said. Some also argue that President Jonathan should take the blame for the current state of the economic and political problems facing the country.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think Nigerians go too hard on President Jonathan and other leaders on Facebook and other social networking sites? Should Nigerians stop insulting him on Facebook?