Aiyedatiwa Taking On Lawyer, Kinsman For Cyberbullying Misplaced Priority – Temokun

AKURE – Activist and human rights lawyer, Tope Temokun, has described the arrest and arraignment of a lawyer, Barrister Wale Omolegbon Odusola, for cyberbullying allegedly on the order of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as a misplaced priority.

He stated this in Akure on Tuesday after the accused was granted bail on self recognition by Magistrate’s Court sitting at Oke-Eda, Akure, Ondo State.

Temokun said the governor should realize that he’s occupying a public office and hold the rein in trust for the people

He said it’s high time he developed how to react to criticism on his performance in office.

The activist said: “This afternoon, in some twist as embarrassing as it is undesirable, the newly elected governor of Ondo State, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has presented a complaint to the police for cyberbullying against a lawyer and his fellow Ilaje kinsman, Barrister Wale Omolegbon Odusola, who was brought before the Magistrate Court, Oke-Eda, Akure, this afternoon, for posting a video on his facebook page which the governor alleged defamed his character and reputation.

“While I will refrain from commenting on the substance of the charge in court, I will simply say that since the assumption of that exalted office of the governor of Ondo State, your character has become a public property and you must develop A thick skin if you don’t have one, for hot and unfriendly criticism from the people whose mandate you are holding.

“For a governor who was catapulted unexpectedly by fate to become a governor and who just got elected and awaiting inauguration this week to be so bothered about a criticism from a citizen and quickly tooling up the law to stifle freedom of expression is to me a priority misplaced.

“Democracy must admit of dissenting voices and business of governance is too serious for any man who has not started anything we can point at to be filing criminal complaint against a citizen on facebook video, of all things. What a petty approach to governance.

“I hereby condemn this act of criminalization of criticism by the governor of Ondo State and advise immediately that the governor withdraw this criminal complaint and shift his focus on serious business of governance which should be his priority now and be more concerned about what legacy he is going to leave behind after his tenure expires. The time is very short and the time begins to run now.

“The governor must acknowledge that he is just the lucky one, many of us are qualified to occupy that position and so we will not put cello tape on our lips just because the person in saddle only likes songs of praises.

“We are all stakeholders in the state and we will not leave the governor to run the business of the state by sheer wishes. We will put the governor on his toes every second for the task of good governance and for the good of our people.”