We woke up this morning to read a few poorly written articles couched, as usual, in blackmail and slavish devotion to lies and inaccuracies by certain suspected supporters of the convicted Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, otherwise known as OBA, notably Imo Udoima, who calls himself ‘The Informer’ and whose main assignment has been to misinform, blackmail, grandstand and besmirch people’s hard- earned reputation to satisfy his maniacal loyalty to his political masters, Manfred Ekpe and others.
Udoima is not someone one should ordinarily join issues with because in the circle of the informed and those whose thoughts and actions matter in the larger scheme of things, he is more or less a court- jester, a man whose write-ups evoke derision because they lack the most basic element of journalism, which is objectivity and intellectual flourish.
I have heard people repeat the clichéd line “show me your friends and I will know who you are”. To them, it is rather shocking and bewildering for OBA to have picked these kinds of media advisers. The result has been the de-marketing of OBA and his ideals by the constant lies, insults, slander, blackmail and falsehood that emanate from the poisoned keyboards of these men against the enemies of his principal.
In his social media post this morning, Imo Udoima laboured in a laughable manner to ascribe the legal challenges that Senator Bassey Albert Akpan is currently experiencing to the machinations of the Akwa Ibom State Government. Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth. This he even boldly acknowledged in the same write-up.
This is what he wrote, which in effect exonerates the involvement of the state government in the case. “It would be recalled that prior to the political heat of 2019, the case between OBA and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), initiated by Barrister Leo Ekpenyong in 2015, was revived in 2019” after what he stated in the write-up was OBA’s decision not to join Senator Godswill Akpabio in his new political journey. Leo Ekpenyong, to those who may not know, has taken the Government of Akwa Ibom State and Governor Udom Emmanuel to court severally on politically – motivated matters that are still in court, and therefore, is NOT a friend of the government in any form, shape or manner.
The case between OBA and EFCC has had nothing to do with the State Government. It was pure and simple a prosecution and eventual conviction executed by the EFCC. The case against OBA was weighty and the evidence presented was overwhelming. His defence team was, to say the least, incapable of overcoming the mountain of evidence and testimonies of witnesses, when cross-examined. This is the fact of the case, pure and simple.
Imo Udoima, in his laboured attempt to link his phantom involvement of the state government in the conviction of OBA, went a great length to manufacture blatant falsehood, when he mentioned the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ekerete Udoh, a man universally acknowledged as a fine gentleman, who goes about his duties in the best traditions expected of his office and maliciously stated that he had “arranged one of the photographers attached to the Office of the Deputy Governor to accompany EFCC officials in their tinted bus with the instruction that he should station himself inside the tinted bus and take pictures of OBA in chain while being taken to prison.”
The above statement is false and totally malicious. Udoima, here clearly advertised his ignorance on how the Press Affairs Unit in Government House functions. The CPS to the Governor has over 40 members in the Press Corps that report and take instructions directly from him, amongst them several photographers. He therefore, did not need to “arrange one of the photographers attached to the Office of the Deputy Governor”, to take pictures of OBA as he exited the court. That, right there, is a lie from the pit of hell. Imo Udoima, knows this, but he maliciously still went ahead to manufacture the falsehood against the fine gentleman, who has been practicing journalism in the best of traditions both in Nigeria and in the United States, simply to smear his professional bonafides. Very sad!
Secondly, by maligning the integrity of the EFCC and its capacity to carry out its statutory responsibilities, Udoima should be ready to tell the world, when, as should be expected, the EFCC goes after him, to prove when such an arrangement was made to attach a photographer to the EFCC in their “ tinted bus”.
He should be ready to mention the name of the photographer. Failing to do so, he should be ready to face the wrath of the EFCC. He is essentially accusing a federal agency that reports to the Attorney-General of the Federation as being compromised. This is not a matter the EFCC would treat with levity. Manufacturing blatant falsehood in order to smear the hardwork of the men and officers of the EFCC should not be explained away lightly as Imo Udoimah has done. He must be ready to provide the evidence.
It is a fact that we are in a political season where falsehoods and blatant lies are peddled, but such peddlers of falsehood should be ready to defend their actions when called upon to do so. Imo Udoima knows the Government of Akwa Ibom State has no hands in the legal travails of OBA; he knows that Governor Udom Emmanuel has in the last seven years plus, ignored all the insults, slander, blackmail and morally objectionable falsehood that have been manufactured against his government.
No one, and I repeat, no one has been killed, no one has been kidnapped. The Governor has no iota of interest in OBA’s legal woes.
Udoima and his ilk should be busy explaining to the world the depth of malfeasance that led to the conviction of his principal by the EFCC, instead of engaging in a blame game.
But while he is at it, he should be ready to prove to the EFCC, when the falsehood he has peddled against the Agency took place.
*** Written by Iniobong Ituen, a public affairs commentator, from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
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