Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Abdul Jelili Adesiyan, has said that his recent comments on an alleged harassment claim by the former governor of Osun State, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, a day before the state’s PDP gubernatorial primaries, was quoted out of context by a section of the media to achieve a sinister purpose.
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Wale Akinola, the minister said it was unfortunate that some media organisations have jettisoned objectivity and professionalism in their news reporting because of pecuniary gains, stressing that some of them mislead the public through their sensational reporting.
Adesiyan said he only explained to the journalists who interviewed him in Osogbo on Saturday that Adeleke lied against him, stressing that he was surprised to read in the newspapers that he said he would beat him to death.
“It is very unfortunate that some media organisations are not objective in their reporting based on their political interests. This trend is not only misleading but it is only meant to pull down their supposed political enemies or opponents,” Adesiyan said.
“The statement credited to me that I said I will beat Adeleke to death is not only untrue, but it is a mere way of scoring a cheap political goal by some members of All Progressives Congress (APC). I cannot deny whatever I say because before I utter any statement, I must have weighed its implications and I cannot equally fold my arms when anybody lies against me.
Adesiyan said he only told the journalists that interviewed him that despite the fact that Adeleke provoked him on that day, he didn’t react because of his position as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I also said that if I had not occupied an exalted position that goes with a lot of responsibilities, I would have beaten him considering the way he came to harass me with his thugs,” Adesiyan explained.
“But rather than quote me the way I said it, some media organisations, including the Nation owned by a national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, twisted the story and turned it up side down to incite good people of Nigeria against me, forgetting that God made me what I am today and whoever is fighting me is only fighting God.”
Adesiyan said he wasn’t disturbed about the issue, since he knows how APC thrives on propaganda.
“I want to say here that I am not perturbed because I know that APC thrives on lies and propaganda but this rebuttal is to put the record straight so that the people who read their twisted version of the story can know the truth and understand the ‘Pull Him Down’ syndrome of APC,” he said.
“I wonder why they did not report Adeleke and Aregbesola and even their master, Tinubu, when they promised the electorate on the soap box that they will roast me and they said for an inevitable change to occur in Osun State they will spill blood, even the Nation newspaper that referred to me in it headline as an alleged killer of Bola Ige could not substantiate its headline in the body of its story.”
He pointed out that the propagandas are coming against the backdrop of APC’s impending loss of the election in Osun State.
“The lesson of the loss of Ekiti State is an indication of taking back what they took one by one through judicial fraud which will be reclaimed one by one by God’s grace and the people’s support. Aregbesola asked the electorate on Tuesday to be ready to fight the police and other security agencies with cutlasses and charms, is that a statement that should come out of a responsible leader?” he said.
“Because the security agents made it possible for people’s vote to count and prevented the influx of people from Lagos and Osun States during Ekiti State election, which is why the APC has begun its blackmail strategy.”
He enjoined the people of Osun State to ignore the statements, assuring that people’s lives and property will be protected before, during and after the election.
However Adesiyan, advised media practitioners not to allow the owners of media houses to negatively influence the authenticity of their reports and put professionalism above primordial sentiment. He also urged them follow the ethics of their profession to the letter.
