The Bayelsa State government has stated that Mr. Bodmas Kemepadei, a Special Assistant to the Governor Douye Diri, on New Media, didn’t speak on behalf of the governor nor the state government in his viral video that lead to his arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The Governor’s aide was arrested in Yenagoa on Wednesday, was over an alleged inciting posts and a video on the social media against President Muhammad Buhari.
In the 28-second video, which has gone viral, Kemepadei could be heard taunting President Buhari and asking Nigerians to fend for themselves since Buhari has gone missing in action allowing insecurity to overwhelm the country.
Kemepadei said in the video: “Nigerians are no longer safe; the only person who is safe in this country is President Muhammadu Buhari. And the only reason why Buhari is safe is that he understands that Nigeria is not safe and he has therefore isolated himself.
“My people, my Nigerians, all of you should wake up, all of you should wake up because nothing is working again in this country. The security architecture of this country has fallen. We don’t know our left, we don’t know our right. We don’t know where we are going as a people,” Kemepadei, identified as Senior Special Assistant to Bayelsa Governor on New Media, said in the video.
But the state government, in a statement signed by the Director, New Media Bayelsa State Government, Kola Oredipe, and sent to DAILY POST, said “Our attention has been drawn to the arrest of Mr. Bodmas Kemepadei by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged inciting posts on the social media against President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Let it be clear that Kemepadei lacks the authority to speak directly for His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State.
“Kemepadei, a known blogger, film editor and online reporter, was appointed into the Bayelsa State Government New Media Team as a Special Assistant on New Media and works under the direct supervision of the Director, New Media, who coordinates all government new media activities.
“Kemepadei, in the said video and other posts, must have obviously spoken as a private citizen and not as a government official because the Governor could never have authorised such comments against Mr. President.”
