Desmond Elliot
By Our Reporter
Hollywood actor turned politician Desmond Elliot has been taken to the cleaners over a video that went virile on Thursday in which he condemned the use of social media by influencers, celebrities and youths.
Elliot was accused of pushing for a bill to censor social media speech and also reportedly blamed the shooting of peaceful protestors at Lekki toll gate on social media influencers and celebrities.
Unable to literally accommodate the heat that emanated from Lagosians regarding the video, Elliot denied the allegations in another video posted on Instagram. “This is false. No state House of Assembly has the jurisdiction to even deliberate to pass any bill, It’s not possible. The only thing I said was that celebrities, influencers and motivational speakers should cut down on the hate narrative. Everyone is going through so much right now,” he said.
In the said video, Elliot called on the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly to “address certain things” like “the Nigerian youth, the social media and social influencers”.
“The Nigerian youth, social media, social influencers, all of these are making the narratives that we are seeing today. Social media, though good, has its negative impacts.”
“When I went through the comments, I could not believe it, Mr. Speaker. The curses, the abuses from children. And I ask myself ‘Is this Nigeria? What is going on?’ Children cursing?”
The lawmaker said that “culture is gone” and warned the House that “in the next five years, Nigeria is gone if we don’t start now.”
He then called on celebrities, influencers and motivational speakers to use their platforms to “stop the hatred” as they have the means to change governments.
Lagosians have continued to criticize Elliot for his comments, for instance, Abiola Alaba Peters took to his Facebook page to criticize the lawmaker. He wrote, “ If you reminisce how he got into Nollywood, you wont be surprised, As for me and my household. We will never watch any movie (Old or New) that features Desmond Elliot, So help us God”
Another Facebook user, Isaac Dachen simply wrote “Chai… Another one Desmond Iscariot”
Korede Abdullahi also wrote “Desmond Elliot goofed by referring to social media users as ‘children’ for which he has apologized, but I don’t see anything wrong with his other submissions’,
Musician Davido took to Twitter on Thursday, saying “Desmond Elliot just destroyed all the precious childhood memories he gave us in movies” while actress Uche Jumbo wrote: “the same social media they “USED” to package themselves into power. APC was packaged here…on twitter with ‘change’”
Social media influencer, Dr Olufunmilayo said: “People died. But Desmond is more angry about online “curses” against their killers.”
Elliot has since apologized for his comments via his Twitter handle, he wrote “I sincerely apologize for addressing the youth as ‘Children’ I did not mean to be insensitive with this, it was borne out of the magnitude of destruction & looting of businesses I witnessed when I went on a tour of my constituency.”
“I allowed my emotions get the better of me and for this I apologize to everyone my earlier statements may have hurt,” he said
