Re:Gov Alia escaped unhurt as Ugondo youth haul objects on Convoy
By Bridget Ikyado
We have read a report in the media with a caption, “Gov Alia escape(sic) unhurt as Ugondo Youth Haul Objects on Convoy ”.
According to Sir Tersoo Kula
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, the report is fake, fictitious, misleading, and probably designed to undermine, demean and cast Governor Hyacinth Alia in a negative light.
We wish to make it abundantly clear to the public that:
1. Nobody hauled any object(s) on Governor Alia or his convoy anywhere in Benue State. This is deep fake!
2. Governor Alia went to Vaatia College, Makurdi where there was a reported case of house breakage, thievery, desecration of tomb and vandalism.
3. Traditional rulers of the host community, including Ter Makurdi, Mue Ter-Masev among others were there with Some very prominent elders like Sen. Fred Orti, Sen. Daniel Saror, Chief Akange Audu amongst others.
4. While addressing them, Governor Alia made it clear that those who perpetrated the nefarious acts of breakage, thievery vandalism and desecration of tomb must be arrested and brought to book to serve as deterrent to others.
5. Some youths of the host community on the orders of their elders quickly mobilized and arrested some suspects and handed them over to the security operatives that were present at the meeting.
6. Governor Alia went to Vaatia College
undisturbed, held the meeting and came out undisturbed.
7. Governor Alia is loved by the people. He is the only Gov in the history of the state that has been walking the streets and markets ascertaining reports including monitoring progress of works himself without being harassed by anyone.
8. We advise media professionals to adhere to the principles and ethics of the profession in plying their trade. Credibility should be the watch word. Consciously propagating fake news should be avoided.
The necessary principle of verifying news sources before going to press should remain sacrosanct.
If journalists become more excited about copy and paste journalism, then, it will be difficult to be given the desired respect of “Watch Dog” of the society?
This report is ill intended, to say the least.
It is advisable that we learn and adhere strictly to the principles and tenets of journalism. Let us learn to be investigative and always verify the truthfulness of any report we give.
We can do better than copying news stories and pasting, otherwise, there are tendencies of copying a malicious and mischievous story like this one all the time.