Connect with us

News

SocialMediaTrends: Kogi commissioner’s ‘fake tears’, Desmond Elliot’s tongue-lashing & other stories

Published

on

The Social Media space in Nigeria on Thursday had reasons to call out a few personalities in government for their statements and/or actions that did not go well with the people.

From the lawmaker who seems to be clamouring for a bill to regulate social media in the country to the presidential aide who insinuated that Nigerians were more criminal-minded than hungry, no one was spared.

The hashtags #EndSARS and #EndPoliceBrutality, which have been very active in recent times on Twitter, were also spotted on the trends list in mid day. But the following trends caught our attention:

Kogi Commissioner

The Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Audu went emotional while disclosing on live television, the extent of the damage carried out on the state’s medical facilities by hoodlums in Lokoja.

Addressing newsmen on Thursday afternoon, the commissioner bursted into tears while lamenting that the damage was one that the state would find difficult to recover from.

Tweeps were surprisingly far from sympathetic over the development as they have tagged the Commissioner’s tears “an action movie”.

Oyigbo, Rivers

Many Twitter users have knocked the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for blaming members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) for masterminding the unrest witnessed recently in Oyigbo, Rivers State in the aftermath of the recent #EndSARS protests.

The governor had on Wednesday evening, signed an executive order banning all IPOB activities in the state and endorsing a compensation plan of N20million each for families of security personnel slain in the course of the violence before lifting the curfew imposed in affected areas except in Oyigbo.

Tweeps were of the opinion that the sudden change in narrative was political as residents claimed that political thugs and not IPOB members hijacked the peaceful protests which led to breakdown in law and order, as well as the intervention of the military.

Read Also: SocialMediaTrends: Tolu Ogunlesi’s resignation rumours, Minister Lai under fire & other stories

Amnesty International

The global human rights movement hit the trends table after it released a press statement on Thursday morning, stating that it had compiled “a new investigative timeline” following the shooting of unarmed protesters by military officers at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos.

The organization stated that investigations of the shooting and the reported removal of bodies of those killed by the military in an attempt to clear up evidences, was still ongoing and called on the government to bring to justice the perpetrators.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the president on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in an interview with Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, insisted that the widespread lootings being witnessed in parts of the country had more to do with greed and criminality than hunger and anger amongst citizens.

“Criminality is criminality,” he said.
“Would you justify armed robbery because the man was poor? Just as you can’t justify armed robbery because a man was poor and then he took a gun to rob another person. You can’t also justify the lootings that are going on. It is pure criminality.”

Adesina added: “It is not everybody engaged in that looting that is hungry, that is the truth. It is pure greed and criminality.”

Twitter users reacted to the statements thus:

Desmond Elliot

Nigeria Twitter again called out Lagos lawmaker, Desmond Elliot after a video of him condemning the activities of social media users, surfaced online.

The actor cum House of Assembly member condemned the negative impacts of social media with respect to hate speeches spewn by some celebrities and social influencers.

Addressing the Lagos State House of Assembly, he said, “Social Media, though good, has its negative impact. Let me first thank you for condemning the wanton killings that happened in Lekki, [but] when I went through the comments on social media, I could not believe it. The curses and abuses from children and I ask myself, is this Nigeria?”

The lawmaker, who had on Tuesday denied reports that the House was deliberating on a bill to regulate social media, also stated that Nigeria would be “gone” in the next five years if the issue was not addressed.

…By Okiemute Abraham

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now