Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was in Nigeria on Tuesday and Wednesday to meet with technology developers in Lagos.
During his meeting on Wednesday the tech guru was asked about the introduction of Nigerian languages on Facebook. To this Zuckerberg replied, “I am glad we support Hausa and we are planning on supporting a lot more languages soon.”
His reply sparked arguments on the social media space as many were of
the opinion that Hausa should not be given any special treatment.
Others saw nothing wrong with what Zuckerberg said.
A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode and a former special assistant to Goodluck Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Reno Omokri took to their various Facebook pages to argue out Zuckerberg’s comments.
Fani as he is popularly called took to his Facebook page to express his displeasure urging Nigerians to think.
He said, “Kerry comes to the north and sees the Sultan of Sokoto,
northern governors and Buhari. One week later Facebook founder comes to
Nigeria and says Hausa is a “unique language” which he has included on
Facebook.
Think Nigerians think.”
However, Omokri quickly countered Fani’s claim because according to him, Zuckerberg was simply stating a fact.
He said, “Olufemi Olu-Kayode I do not understand why Kerry did what
he did, but as for Zuckerberg, all he did was state a fact. After
Swahili, Hausa is perhaps the most widely spoken language in sub Saharan
Africa.
“That is why BBChausa, VoAhausa, Deutschewelle and other world radio services all have broadcasts in Hausa.”
But Fani-Kayode did not agree with Omokri as he saw his remark as an
affront to his struggle to free the South from “Western imperialists”
and their “inner colonial masters”.
He said, “What Mark Zuckerberg said about the Hausa language being “unique” is not a fact but an opinion.
“You see unlike most I do not post, speak or write lightly. I take my
time, I do my research and I am very precise. That is my style and
nature.
“The choice of Hausa being put on Facebook is not just a matter if
“linguistic uniqueness” I assure you. It is not just a matter of
linguistic uniqueness I assure you but evidence of the fact that the
British particularly always had, and still have, a strong partiality for
the Hausa Fulani compared to any other nationality in Nigeria.
I read far more into this matter than you do because I am not just a politician but a historian.”
Unperturbed by Fani’s assertion, Omokri said he was missing the point.
“You say I am naive for accepting, as Zuckerberg does, that the Hausa
language is unique. If your argument is true and I am indeed naive then
you would have to agree with me that BBC News, Radio France
Internationale, Voice of America – VOA, DW Deutsche Welle, China Radio
International and Voice of Russia are equally naive, because, like
Facebook, they all have a Hausa language service.
“By including Hausa as an official Facebook language,
Zuckerberg recognizes the fact that while there are literally tens of
millions of Yoruba, Igbo and other indigenous Nigerian language speakers
who can communicate in both their native language and English, the same
cannot be said about Hausa speakers.”
Omokri went ahead to debunk Fani’s claim that Zuckerberg favoured the
North by making Hausa language available on Facebook. He said that
Zuckerberg’s investment and visit was to Lagos, a southern state.
“You may recall that Zuckerberg and his wife recently invested $25
million in Andela. That would be a most strange way to undermine the
South given that all of Andela’s founders and most of their fellows are
from the South. Talk is cheap but money makes things happen. Zuckerberg
talked about Hausa, but he put his money in a Lagos tech hub. Does that
not say something to you?”
Not one to back down from a fight, Fani said he was getting irritated
by Omokri’s response as he schooled him on his antecedents as a public
relations personnel and as a politician.
He said, “I have known the north and interacted with northerners far
more than you and for far longer so I don’t need lessons from you or
anyone else about who or what they are, either for good or for bad.
“And neither do I need to say only things that are politically
correct about them or anyone else because, unlike you, I have paid my
dues politically and in terms of public commentary for over a period of
27 years.
“I worked in the Presidency as President Obasanjo’s spokeman as far back as 13 years ago. I don’t know where you were then.”
He went ahead to state that he was warned by Governor of Kaduna state
about Omokri and urged him to return home raTher than writing against
the government from the comfort f California, USA.
“Our mutual friend Nasir El Rufai often warned me about you but I
never listened to him. Now you have proved him right and all because you
want to please your foreign and new-found northern friends.
“Maybe you should come home and see what is really going on here
rather than continuing to write those great anti-government articles
from the relative safety of California.”
Omokri in his response said he was no coward as he was in Nigeria a
forthnight ago to preach in a church in Abuja, and that there is nothing
wrong in persons disagreeing on a matter.
“Since it has reached the stage where you are irritated with me, I
think it is best to leave well enough alone. Let us agree to disagree
without being irritated by each other. I have said all I need to say on
the matter of Mark Zuckerberg’s description of the Hausa language as
being unique and I have heard all you have to say. Thank God we are both
professing Christ followers and are thus familiar with the advise of Saint Paul in 2 Timothy 2:24 “the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.”
“By the way, I was in Nigeria two weeks ago. I preached at Holyhill
Church, Abuja. The pastor Sunday Ogidigbo publicized my visit. If I was a
coward as you claim and was speaking from the safety of California, why
would I visit Nigeria after my strong and very public criticism of the
current administration?”
The question now on the lips of many is how did a mere off the side
comment by Zuckerberg turn these allies to enemies on social media.
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