Nigeria’s R&B singer Simisola Ogunleye better known as Simi, has said
many people whom she used to respect have changed after attaining a
status of influence.
The 31-year-old vocalist said this in a tweet on Wednesday — barely
two days after she had slugged it out with Festus Keyamo, a senior
advocate of Nigeria (SAN), over his stance on the social media
regulation bill.
“Lot of people I used to respect have changed a lot. Some found power
and lost the plot. Some just got stupider,” she wrote, as fans took to
the comment box to bare their thoughts with a user urging her to “calm
down.”
While Simi never established a connection as to who her rant is
addressed to, the comment comes not long after she had challenged
Keyamo for opining that it’s unacceptable for Nigerians to make
“insensitive” posts on public officials.
“In a democracy sir, it should NOT be the law for people to be
‘sensitive’ when they talk about the people they voted for. How many
false posts about the government actually circulate that warrants a
bill like this? ” the ‘Joromi’ songstress had written.
“We have way more pressing issues in Nigeria and even YOU know it!
There has to be at least one person in power that is on the side of
the people. Gaddemit!”
In a democracy sir, it should NOT be the law for people to be
‘sensitive’ when they talk about the people they voted for. How many
false posts about the government actually circulate that warrants a
bill like this? We have way more pressing issues in Nigeria and even
YOU know it!
Her response was in reaction to Keyamo’s tweet that read: “The real
agitation should be for Parliament, in line with S.36(12) of the 1999
Constitution, to clearly define the TYPES of false & insensitive posts
that would attract penal consequences, so that govt doesn’t abuse it.
But to leave everyone to just post ANYTHING is unacceptable.”
