Gov Adeleke Sets Up Committee To Tackle Fake News In Osun…APC Alleges ‘Cognitive Dissonance’, Says ‘It’s A Ploy To Suppress Opposition’

Osun state government during the weekend took a drastic action with respect to tackling fake news, cybercrimes, and cyber bullying in the state by announcing the setting up of a committee for this purpose.

The cybercrime ‘action committee’ will  according to the state government give effect to relevant provisions of the law with regard to cybercrimes, cyber bullying, and deliberate online false news.

Commissioner for Information and  Public Enlightenment, Oluomo  Kolapo Alimi noted in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com that the step taken by the state government has become necessary in order ‘to sanitize the governance space and ensure that politicking and governance take place under an atmosphere of responsibility, decency and honesty’.

 The  state government also noted that ‘the increasing wave of fake news negatively affects both the government and the opposition and that it is high time all operators were brought within the compass of the law in the exercise of their rights as guaranteed by the constitution’ while adding  that the committee which will be domiciled at the Ministry of Justice, has as its  members;  journalists and legal practitioners.

 Alimi added that the committee has been tasked with ensuring that fake news is nipped in the bud in the state, no matter who the perpetrators are.

The committee will according to him apply relevant sections of the Cybercrime Act of 2015 as operational clauses in order to make sure that everyone ensures that things are done right.

‘The committee is to apply relevant sections of the Cybercrime Act of 2015 as operational clauses to ensure all stakeholders operate within the law in the exercise and enjoyment of their fundamental human rights.

Section 24 (1) of the Cybercrime Act, 2015 states that: ‘A person who knowingly or intentionally sends a message or other matter by means of computer systems or network that is grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character or causes any such message or matter to be sent, or he knows to be false, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to another or causes such a message to be sent, commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to a fine of not more than N7,000, 000.00 or imprisonment for a term, not more than three years or both’ the statement added.

Reacting to the setting up of the committee in question by the state government,  Osun state APC has alleged  that it is a ploy to suppress the  opposition while accusing Governor Ademola Adeleke of seeking to  become a dictator in ‘a supposed democratic government’ .

The state APC Chairman,   Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement  issued in Osogbo and made available to Team@orientactualmags.com  by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi,  described  the step taken by the state government as an afterthought and one that is  aimed at planting fears in the minds of patriotic citizens who are seeking to  know why Governor Adeleke allegedly  chose ‘to award over N50 billion road  construction contracts to cyber cafe operators, fertilizer distributors and cronies with no technical and professional competence’.

Lawal  said members of the APC   in the state would not be intimidated but would  rather be battle-ready to confront and cut to size, through legal means, ‘all draconian policies fashioned to repress the voice of the opposition’ while also alleging ‘cognitive dissonance’.

‘It defies logic that a governor who has been shielding his chief propagandist from DSS, because he is to answer questions for allegedly planting fake news about the son of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Femi Oyetola, is the one promising to curb cyber bullying.

The issue is that Governor Adeleke is under pressure to defend his corruption-friendly government which has become a butt of jokes among discerning minds in the state. 

If not, why is this repressive move coming up at this time when our party had taken   him headlong on the shady deals that bedevilled the award of his purported multi-billion road/flyover contracts?

We want to assure Governor Adeleke that no matter his antics, we, as a party, would not surrender our inalienable rights to act to type as a credible opposition to his reactionary, clueless and corrupt government, in the overall interest of the people of the state. 

We will continue to expose him and other members of his family who were complicit in the shady road and borehole contracts in the state. We will do everything to stop him from having an Augustus Pinochet regime in Osun state’  the state APC chairman added-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you