The Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Engr Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji has advised youths and social media users to stop using the social media to promote falsehood and destructive criticism.

The Speaker stated this over the weekend while featuring in a special moderation at the Abia Social Media Converge which held Sunday at the Dr Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia.

The Speaker said the social media space is one of the best mediums to keep leaders in check but only if properly utilised by its users.

He frowned at the abuse of the social media by some of its users who only use it to serve malicious and destructive purposes by needlessly maligning leaders through fabricated stories and hearsays motivated by sheer and undeserved hate usually orchestrated by bitter opposition politicians in the State.

The Speaker said it is so sad that even some bloggers in the state will dubiously and purposely publish false articles in order to get recognition from target leaders in the State, emphasising that such bloggers in the State are usually sponsored by politicians in a bid to score cheap political points.

“The social media can be used for good or bad. Most of my friends here who are bloggers, sometimes when they try to get your attention and they don’t get it at their own time, their next move would be to forcefully get that attention by publishing falsehood to the public”, the Speaker said.

According to Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, the best use of the social media would be to use it to constructively make the society move in the right direction and firmly but fairly keep leaders in check.

He thanked the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina for coming to the state, and urged him to take back to Abuja the message of the massive developmental strides going on in the State under the dutiful eyes of the Governor, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu.

Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, Governor of Abia State, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, top government officials, Clergymen, Traditional Rulers, stars from the entertainment industry, graced the epic event.