25th March, 2024
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
Opposition plitical parties and other stakeholders are apprehensive as a Cyber Crime Action Committee set up by Osun State Government to tackle “cyber bullying and deliberate online false news,” takes off today, Monday, 25 March
The Osun state government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi on Sunday had indicated that the Cybercrime Action Committee will hold its maiden meeting today.
Alimi said the State decided to set up the body out of worries over pervasiveness of fake news in the state.
Hr added that the Action Committee will help to sanitize the governance space and ensure that politicking and governance take place under an atmosphere of responsibility, decency and honesty in Osun State.
The Commissioner added that the increasing wave of fake news negatively affects the government and the opposition and “that it is high time all operators are brought within the compass of the law in the exercise of their rights as guaranteed by the constitution”
Alimi said the committee will be domiciled at the Osun Ministry of Justice with its membership made up of members journalists and legal practitioners.
The mandate of action Committee, according to the Commissioner, will be to ensure that “fake news are nipped in the bud, no matter who the perpetrators are by applying the relevant sections of the Cybercrime Act of 2015.”
He noted that Section 24 (1) of the Cybercrime Act, 2015 reads: “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”
Alimi that the committee will host its maiden action meeting on Monday even as he affirmed the commitment of Governor Ademola Adeleke to delivery of good governance, due process, rule of law and fear of God.
The establishment of the Committee followed allegations and counter allegations of corruption between the Osun Government and the main opposition All Progressives Congres, APC in the state.
Hence, it was not a suprise that the opposition party will strongly opposed the action of the state government.
Osun APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal was quoted by The Punch as describing the action of the government as a ploy to muzzle the opposition.
He accused Governor Adeleke of planning to turn himself into a dictator.
He linked the setting up of the committe to recent controversies over alleged award of N50bn road contracts by Osun government to unqualified companies.
He vowed that the APC will challenge the new law in court.
He noted that Adeleke has been shielding his aide who is wanted by the DSS for allegedly levelling fake allegations against the son of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Femi Oyetola.
The APC Chairman vowed that the party will not be cowed by the new law
“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 Osun State.”