Abia Govt threatens legal action against blackmailers on social media

[From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia]

Abia Government has warned it would take legal action against people who use the social media to disparage or blackmail it and its officials.

This is also the government charged journalists practicing in the state to be professional in the discharge of their duties and equally ensure detailed reportage of the developmental strides of the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu-led administration

Chief of Staff to the Governor, Prof. A.C.B Agbazuere, who warned against social media abusers, in his remarks at the Government House, Umuahia Monday, said that the state would no longer condone activities of those who resort to the social media to publish or send messages which are false with the intention to disparage or blackmail the government or its officials in order to satisfy themselves or their sponsors.

Agbazuere advised those involved to “refrain from such unpatriotic, irreverent and debilitating conducts,” adding that “government would be constrained to fully resort to extant laws against such uncharitable individuals except they purge themselves.”

The Chief of Staff to the Governor equally warned those who prefer to comment only on reactions to take caution against such malicious actions.

He, however, said that government was open to advice and constructive criticisms but not intentional and willful publishing of falsehood for political and selfish reasons.

Meanwhile, State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. Eze Chikamnayo, while speaking during the 2022 Beginning of the Year Annual Thanksgiving Service of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State Council held at the Press Centre, Umuahia, stressed that professionalism demands that journalists must be objective and balance their reports.

 According to him, journalists were the conscience of society, emphasizing that news reports must be anchored on truth and good conscience, without bias.

 The Commissioner who was the Special Guest at the event also urged NUJ to launch a ferocious war against quackery, saying that fake journalists were busy destroying the noble profession.

According to him, until NUJ resolves to flush out quacks, societal respect and regard for journalism and journalists would continue to wane. “No profession is abused in Nigeria today like the journalism profession,” the Commissioner said.

He decried the level of illegal practices by non-professionals who have infiltrated the profession and tasked NUJ to start self-regulating the Union and come up with a draft for the enactment of a law that would protect the profession and regulate journalism practice in Nigeria.  

Chikamnayo charged the leadership of the Union in Abia to lead the war against fake journalists in the state in order to rid the Union charlatans.  

He used the opportunity to announce that he would offset the arrears of rent and 2022 rent bills of the NUJ Press Centre and, as well, assured that the NUJ Secretariat building started by him in 2014 would be completed by the present administration.

The Commissioner said that Governor Ikpeazu was rebuilding Abia State through Small and Medium Enterprises, saying that the Governor’s efforts have led to branding of Abia as the SME capital of Nigeria, noting that his unrelenting efforts in promoting Made-in-Aba products have restored confidence of manufacturers and consumers in products made in Aba.

In his sermon, the Assistant Parish Priest of St. Finbarrs’ Catholic, Reverend Father Fortunatus Ikedi-Nwankuba, enjoined journalists to avoid unnecessary distractions in discharging their duties and ensure they upheld the key cannon of journalism which include truth, fairness, objectivity and putting public interest first in their dealings.

The Reverend Father, who spoke on the topic, “As a Journalist, You are a Shining Star,” regretted that journalism today was facing many challenges, maintaining that the only means to succeed was to seek and desire God. He added that “seeking God would make one a shining star in his career.”

 Earlier, the NUJ State Chairman, Comrade Victor Ndukwe, had said that the prayer session has become an annual ritual committed to thanking God for bringing the journalists into the New Year and seek His grace to go through the New Year in the practice of their profession.

 He thanked the Special Guest, Chikamnayo, and the Guest Speaker, Rev. Fr. Ikedi-Nwankuba, as well as his colleagues, for attending the Thanksgiving Service.