Kwara blogger, Sholyment speaks on 2-day ordeal in police detention over report on Gov’s aide

By Mumini AbdulKareem

A popular blogger in Ilorin, Olusegun Olushola commonly known as
Sholyment, last night, opened up on his detention at the Kwara State
Police Command over his report faulting the professorship claim of the
recently appointed Special Adviser on Health Matters to the Kwara
State Governor, Wale Suleiman.
Suleiman’s appointment had attracted comments online and social media
platforms in the state expressing doubt over his professorship status.
Sholyment also ‘exposed’ the medical practitioner on his facebook
timeline.
Sholyment, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a fierce
critic of the present administration was invited by the Police command
over the issue on Monday following a petition. He was however released
on Tuesday after youths from the ruling APC and opposition PDP rose in
condemnation of the action.
Speaking on the issue in a telephone conversation last night, the
former media aide of late Hon Funke Adedoyin accused the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC) of becoming increasingly intolerant of the
opposition,
According to him, no amount of harassment and intimidation from any
quarters can silence or deter the resolve to always demand good
governance.
He narrated his experience thus:
“I got there on Monday around 11am and as a citizen who has nothing to
hide and who gives credence to the rule of law and respect for
constituted authority, I have no choice than to honour the invitation
of the Police Command.
“On getting there, I was presented with a petition alleging that I
wrote some items with respect to the Special Adviser to the Governor
on Health Matters, Dr Wale Suleiman who said I faulted his
professorship, he claimed.
“I admitted that I truly put the information on my facebook timeline
and I was asked to justify it which I did. To my surprise, there was
no any clarification on the petition that was written where
confirmation of his professorship status was made or any document or
certificate to this regard. I left around 5pm on Tuesday.
“So up till the moment, we have not been able to get any document
which confirmed that the person in question has attained a
professorship status. A professor should be in an academic setting,
that is the way it’s structured. One can’t be a professor without
being in the academic environment.
“I want to confirm that Dr Wale Suleiman is a professional health
practitioner who has reached a very reputable peak in the heath
profession. But this is public office and he who comes with equity
must come with clean hands. When we got the hint that he is not a
professor, we were baffled because he once served under our government
in PDP as the Board chairman in Harmony. If we put out information on
social media, it’s not to blackmail the concerned party but to get
clarification. Most of these people are political bigwigs and access
to them is difficult to get them react to stories about them. But when
it is on social media, they will be able to react and make
clarifications. That is the intention. I don’t have any business with
Dr Wale Suleiman and I have no reason whatsoever to result to
blackmail. I told the police that it’s expected that when information
are released, the concerned person come to the public and make
clarification with proof to shut us up and even at times, we tender
apology”, he noted.
He said a responsible government that is ready to serve the citizen
must be ready to be criticised adding that he was surprised about the
wave of support from everybody even from members of the APC.
“That really surprised me and we have let them realised that we are
not going to keep quiet just like our government then was criticised.
We have made it clear several times that the present government at
both state and federal levels under the present circumstance are
supposed to be accountable to the citizens.
“They are our servants and represent us and our interest once they
have been sworn-in in whatever capacity. And so, in our own role, we
will continue to hold them accountable and force them to be
transparent because that is what they want to avoid. Any government
that is trying to gag the media or the citizen, we will continue to
force them to be transparent and respond to the citizens of Kwara
State. That is the resolve and nothing will change that”.
He however praised the police officers at the state SIB where he was
detained adding that they conducted themselves very well throughout as
friendly police men. I was impressed by the way I was received and
others who came calling. There was not any form of torture or
intimidation and I will say the Kwara State command especially is
pride to the policing of the country. I am proud of them and their
detention facility was very clean which portray that the police is
actually improving. I was given a very lovely treatment”.