A senior Buhari administration official who has slammed arbitrary fines on media organisations for allegedly broadcasting hate speeches has himself been caught spewing vicious propaganda on WhatsApp.


Modibbo Kawu, director-general of National Broadcasting Commission who has led the charge against government-defined hate speech, shocked many in a WhatsApp group of northern editors and intellectuals on Thursday morning after going on a hate-filled tirade targeted at Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Mr Kawu, also of Kwara State, ventilated about Mr Saraki’s influence on Kwara people and said the situation has gone beyond normal.

“It is not the “natural” human condition to continuously vote for a kleptocratic hegemony such as Saraki has imposed on our dear Kwara State,” the NBC chief said shortly before 9:00 a.m. Thursday.


He then went on to detail a slew of nasty and uncorroborated assertions against the Senate President, all to the consternation of the group’s members who immediately carpeted the top bureaucrat for using the platform to further the cause of ethnic and sectarian tensions.

“Bukola Saraki’s hegemony has been responsible for a systematic underdevelopment of Kwara; the entrenchment of a pattern of cult killings and blood letting that’s unique.

“And over a three year period, 2010, 2011, and 2013, tens of people were killed in stampede in front of the offices and residence of the Saraki. Even the Offa “robbery” where 33 people died was far more like their pattern of ritual killings than robbery!


“How much money do they have in Offa banks that 33 people had to be killed? These are questions people ask in Kwara. Hopefully the incredibly arrogant Bukola Saraki, whose family has no Asali whatsoever, has finally arrived at a denouement! Nothing lasts forever; not a kleptocratic hegemony; not an oppressive domination of a state by a family, which really isn’t even from our state!” Mr Kawu said.

“That’s why he doesn’t share the values of our community; looks down at our people and carries himself with so much contempt!’ Mr Kawu said. ‘Even his names tell anyone who knows Ilorin that this is an “alien” individual. His full names are OLUBUKOLA OLABOWALE ADEBISI (sic).”


“These are not names an Ilorin person would normally be called. And he didn’t have a Muslim name until he wanted to run for governor in 2002-2003! They first named him Muktar after his grandfather and that was then dropped for Abubakar, the name his father was also “borrowed” in Ilorin. These are the facts!” Mr Kawu said.

Some members of the WhatsApp group were enraged by the level of ethnic and religious epithets emanating from Mr Kawu, who was once an editor of Daily Trust, and took turns to condemn him. and preach oneness instead.


“We should not allow politics to becloud our judgments and hence destroy all the principles we claim to stand for,” a member of the group Zainab Okino said. “We cannot build or grow a nation, when we remain stuck in the past; that one is not qualified for this or that because he’s not from so so state.”

“Instead we should work towards being citizens of one nation identified only by residency, without labelling or profiling. This is an ideal which I thought Modibbo espoused.

“How will he feel if Kwara people also disclaim him, having traced his origin to Wurno in Kebbi or may even be farther to Futa Jalon in Guinea, Senegal or Mali.


“We all come from somewhere, so it should not be a yardstick to assess individuals, even if they do not represent what we stand for,” Ms Okino added.

Another member of the group, Ibrahim Sheme, put a simple question to Mr Kawu about Mr Saraki: “Is he a Muslim or not? I thought he was.”

Mr Kawu did not return PREMIUM TIMES requests for comments between Thursday and Sunday.

Unbridled hypocrisy

Mr Kawu’s bilious rants were apparently aimed at consoling himself and other supporters of Mr Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress for the recent events in politics. The APC has lost scores of state and federal lawmakers within the past week, with many defecting largely under the influence of Mr Saraki.


Mr Saraki dumped the ruling party after several months of tension between him and the Buhari administration. The APC blamed the top lawmaker for its woes, and his latest political exploits had been seen as highly pivotal and potentially caustic for Mr Buhari’s re-election bid.

While Mr Saraki has faced heavy backlash for his manoeuvres, including murder allegations without evidence and attempts to remove him as Senate President, top Buhari administration agents largely avoided using charged invective against the lawmaker.

A career journalist, Mr Kawu was appointed head of NBC in May 2016 by Mr Buhari. His immediate task was to “re-organise the NBC and transform the Nigeria broadcasting industry into one that can compete with the best in the world.” By December 2016, he announced the Nigeria’s launch of digital switch-over, a project initiated and built by the previous Goodluck Jonathan administration.

But he is perhaps more known for his campaign against hate speech. He, alongside Mr Mohammed, have been championing the cause for a civil and highly responsible media space.

Within the past two years, Mr Kawu has has delivered lectures against hate speech, threatened heavy sanctions against errant media houses and sanctioned scores of media houses for alleged infractions against the guidelines.

Even though the government’s definition of hate speech remains largely vague, broadcast stations have continued to comply with its fines, which had been criticised as arbitrary and unjustified.


As part of stringent measures aimed at moderating speech in public space, Mr Kawu also ordered broadcasters to minimise audience participation in phone-in programmes as a way of censoring citizens’ ventilation.

The measures had been condemned by free speech advocates and other commentators who said they confirmed fears that Buhari administration was only interested in curbing speech which it does not like. Although the government denied the allegation, an APC chieftain Joe Igbokwe was recently caught also circulating fake news online without any disciplinary action being taken by his party.

Earlier this year, an APC senator proposed a bill that sought to punish convicted hate speech purveyors with death.


Only last week, Daar Communications announced it had paid heavy fines imposed by Mr Kawu for alleged use of “provocative, inflammatory and decisive” comments during July 24 edition of ‘Political Platform,’ a popular morning magazine programme on Ray Power FM.

Although the station said it would contest the action in court, it had to first comply to avoid being forced out of airwaves by the NBC.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/278950-buharis-top-anti-hate-speech-official-caught-spewing-vicious-propaganda-against-saraki.html

Anything associated with this government/party are always manifesting occultic behaviours.

What is hate speech about this? Someone is speaking facts here

It is worrisome living in a country where those who pass the law are above the law .

If it is the will of God!

Saraki should lead us

He is more of a democrat

coupled with intelligent and wisdom!

bender79:
What is hate speech about this? Someone is speaking facts here

If u didn't see any hate speech in what that daf mind said, then ur hypocrisy deserved some accolades. hate speech started seriously after the emergence of ApC. it is now eating deep into the society, even APC cannot tame the wild fire they started.
Nigeria has never been this divided until 2015.

Lalasticlala why is this not on Front page?

nail his balls

Na wah, the Law is really one sided in this regime. In a sane country this man is supposed to be sacked.

He should resign. He hasn't shown neutrality by this comment.

He go hear am next year when buhari is sent back to hell fire

bender79:
What is hate speech about this? Someone is speaking facts here

You can't identify facts even if it is staring you in the face..

Really??
Coming from Premium Times, whose head of "Investigation" - Nicholas Ibekwe, wrote this about the North and Northern Politician?
As if South East Politicians are better than their Northern counterparts...

Yes, what is going on in kwara is kleptocratic hegemony.
Compare when Kwara state was created to that of Akwa ibom and you will pity Kwarans

And why should he resign ? He just spoke the minds of the real patriotic Kwarans.

tribalistseun:
He go hear am next year when buhari is sent back to hell fire

See?



Ba...sstta....rd..s everywhere!

.

TimFisher2:


If it is the will of God!

Saraki should lead us

He is more of a democrat

coupled with intelligent and wisdom!

Yes, his father led your father,

Bukola is leading you now.

His son will tomorrow lead your children.

Receive sense for once

bender79:
What is hate speech about this? Someone is speaking facts here

Fooooool

This one don pass hate speech o. This one na killer speech.

But it's the truth isn't it? Or aren't we talking about the same Saraki??

Not surprised that's how they behave

Bolustical:


Did he say all these in the position of the director or as a personal opinion among colleagues?

So if I am the VC of a Federal University, I can't disagree with the policies or the personality of the Minister of Education in a WhatsApp group strictly for my colleagues and me?

Premium Times, una well done.

Hypocrite! But when the editor of vanguard made his comment on facebook, you people called for his head.

TimFisher2:


If it is the will of God!

Saraki should lead us

He is more of a democrat

coupled with intelligent and wisdom!

Don't worry, he will rule you and your household, don't ever generalise such statements in your life again.

There is nothing hate speech in what the man said. It’s pure undiluted truth.
Saraki has pocketed the future of the kwara people and there’s no good development in the state.

A lot of people have called pmb many names and qualified him with many worst words without evidence but because they hate him and they don’t see it as hate speech.

Contest with the words and messages of that man and tell me if all he said wasn’t truth.

-python2

TimFisher2:


If it is the will of God!

Saraki should lead us

He is more of a democrat

coupled with intelligent and wisdom!

Intelligent or mesu jamba!

Tareq1105:


Yes, his father led your father,

Bukola is leading you now.

His son will tomorrow lead your children.

Receive sense for once

while you are at it remember the man leading you now led you 34 years ago!

bender79:
What is hate speech about this? Someone is speaking facts here

Automated ZONE B