Browsing by Author "Chiakaan, Jacob Gbaden"

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    Social media and citizens' involvement in governance: Focus on facebook comments on anti-open grazing bill in Benue State, Nigeria
    (Communication Studies Forum, Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka., 2018-12) Udende, Patrick; Iorkase, Sylvester; Chiakaan, Jacob Gbaden; Yusuf, Tajudeen Olarenwaju
    Against the backdrop that social media platforms avail citizens the opportunity to influence governance, the study examines citizens’ involvement in the passage of anti-open grazing bill in Benue State, Nigeria. The objective is to determine whether Facebook can be a uniting platform among citizens thereby, facilitating democratic development. The population of study is all text messages posted on Facebook pertaining to the anti-open grazing bill. Adopting qualitative approach, the study content-analyses Facebook posts purposively selected between March and June 2017. The study descriptively analyses data. Deducing from the data, Facebook plays a cohesive role for citizens to register their concerns with a view to influencing government legislations and actions. While the study recommends the sustained use of Facebook in canvassing for a cause with moderation, it also recommends that government at all levels should always show commitment in addressing issues capable of disrupting peaceful co-existence among people.