By Azogor Ideba
We live in the jet age and the world today is moving with the speed of light. Technological advancements, innovation and ingenuity have succeeded in reducing the world to a global village and with the advent of the internet; one is only seconds away from information, knowledge, business, governance, governments and interaction with the rest of the world. One is forced to either comply or conform to the modern age and its speed or lag behind in the medieval.
That Technology has brought the universe together and seamlessly too is indisputable. So much so that it takes only a phone call or surfing the cyber space to connect worlds millions of miles apart, family and friends alike.
One of the greatest modern day inventions of technology are the Social Media which have become the foremost and most prominent media for the spread of information especially news, information and entertainment. The social media also create platforms to connect with people however far apart.
On other hand, these media have also become very strong channels for self-expression and to propagate all sorts of ideologies.
As almost all may know, the social media are very powerful instruments for social re-engineering, engagement and revolution. There was hardly any social revolution in this 21st century earth which was not largely instigated by the social media.
Millions of Nigerians now resort to the social media for instant on-the-go news or information and even entertainment through phones, iPods and other mobile computer gadgets. Not too many Nigerians still do with the conventional newspapers and magazines. This makes the social media to command enormous follower-ship and readership being the fastest media to access news and information and also reach out to millions of people around the world.
Ironically, it has also become the fastest media for some to spread hate and falsehoods.
The cynosure here is John Gaul Lebo, the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, a Public servant who has effectively embraced the social media aware of the import of the internet in public engagement, social interaction and communication.
He stands out as what some may call a ‘a digital legislator’ who in spite of tight schedules still finds time to personally engage the people, his constituents and indeed Nigerians on the different social media and not even the full complement of his media team could compromise the efficacy of his cyber engagements.
John Gaul Lebo believes that first- hand information and feeling directly not through proxy, the impulse of the people and hearing from the horse’s mouth was akin to making him understand better and faster the needs and aspirations of the people. To him, it is the fastest way to reach the people and address their agitations or expectations even ahead of any interface or town hall meetings as popularly obtained.
Many people find it rather amusing learning that John Gaul Lebo, even as Speaker, daily uploads updates of his official and private activities on the social media. Many more find it intriguing that the Honourable Speaker always demystified the aura of his office by positively engaging the public on topical issues bothering the House of Assembly or the state, proffering solutions and explanations to issues and most times, doing so painstakingly and in a piece meal.
While one may not cast any shadow on the positive impact of the social media in particularly its informative, educative and entertaining content, it would rather amount to insensitivity to turn an eye away from the menace that abusing the web pages portends for the society and individual persons, apart from the fact that these media have also become the fastest media for some to spread hate and falsehoods like wild fire.
Often times, public officials and highly placed members of the society are the target or victims of the social media abuse as they are insulted, maligned, demeaned, blackmailed and even threatened.
Baffling enough, many Nigerian internet users, as gullible as they seem, believe most of the lies and sedition published on the web without verification for authenticity.
For the umpteenth time, Rt. Hon John Gaul Lebo has been severally abused, blackmailed and even defamed on web pages with his traducers spinning falsehood and malicious narratives against him. But the quintessential Speaker does nothing but engage his attackers responsibly and in a very convincing manner that makes the scales to fall off the eyes of even the most ignorant person. For him, engagement erases doubts and sets the records straight. It educates and enlightens. It conquers lies and falsehood; it erodes distrust and soothes the distraught among the people; and leaves the people more confident and better informed about subjects or issues in contention.
Once, twice or more, he has been accused of unfriending some friends whose excesses crossed the lines of decency and responsibility and became overly offensive. It should be emphasized here that John Gaul Lebo blocks a friend only on extreme cases and mostly those who abuse his person, office and private life; those who take his simplicity and humility for granted. Some have come out to say after being blocked by him (on his private Facebook account) that he abhors criticism. But any man who does not tolerate criticism cannot be seen interacting and engaging the people the way John Gaul Lebo does on the social media and in other platforms.
Truth is, he is human and has emotions too. He deserves some respect not flagrant abuses; some approbation rather than knocks alone; correction not total condemnation. More importantly, he needs to be encouraged by every decent and discerning mind for the sterling display of simplicity, humility, civility and liberality even as the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly.
Today, the Cross River State House of Assembly has been placed on the cyber highway, accessible on all fronts of the social media and other platforms owing to the demeanour and social inclination of a John Gaul Lebo.
Aside his digital awareness, compliance and judicious deployment, he is further equipped with delectable academic prerequisite; endowed with a tall intellectual shrewdness; adorned with professional distinction and blessed with remarkable legislative expertise; so much in tune with modernity, critical knowledge and information, national and international trends and experience; he is humbled by civility which makes him observe decorum at any given time with an incredibly stable emotion; not agitated by class or affluence but imbued with the milk of kindness which makes humanity the centre of his strives and efforts; with a pre-occupation and warm social proclivity to bequeath a better future and build responsible youths to occupy this future, his passion for young people is unparalleled. All these and many more distinguish John Gaul Lebo as a Modern Day Legislator.
