MOSOP Demands Investigation of Leadership Newspaper As Dr. Goodluck Diigbo frowns at a false report likely to shield frauds and corruption in Nigeria
MOSOP President /Spokesman, Dr. Goodluck Diigbo has written to the Acting Inspector General of Police in Nigeria to investigate Leadership Newspaper report leveling various crimes against his person. The report titled: Police May Arrest MOSOP Leader was published on Friday, April 13, 2012. Diigbo said the report is threatening, intimidatory, hateful, anonymous, fabricated, and double-edged report leveling wild charges without any basis in facts. The timing of the report is very troubling. Diigbo wants the police to test the motive and probe the existence of: The Ogoni Patriots credited with a petition fishing for crimes to incriminate him.
“The charges distract and try to undermine MOSOP and the Ogoni people at a time they want Ledum Mitee, who held MOSOP hostage for 14 years to account for missing money. It is time for reckoning and accountability,” Diigbo said. http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/nvnews/86349/1/mosop-alerts-president-goodluck-jonathan-of-massiv.html. The Leadership newspaper reporter is a close friend of Ledum Mitee: one Mr. Anayo Onukwugha, in Port Harcourt. “I do not see how the false report will help the Ogoni people in the pursuit of equity, fairness and justice? Who does it benefit: The Police, Government or Leadership Newspaper? It therefore deserves urgent action. It is this kind of report that contributes to the negative belief that the police in Nigeria are neither effective nor credible. Falsification of crimes can make it more difficult to fight crimes,” Diigbo stated.
Dear Acting Inspector General of Police:
On behalf of MOSOP and myself, I write to ask you sir: the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar to investigate how the report titled: Police May Arrest MOSOP Leader came about. The report is threatening, intimidatory, hateful, anonymous, fabricated, and double-edged and double-edged. Yet, it is able level various crimes against my person in a democracy. See the link below: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1204/S00021/mosop-alerts-president-goodluck-jonathan-of-massive-frauds.htm.
Even if the publicity so far generated may prove useful to MOSOP's call for reckoning and accountability, the image of Nigeria is further jeopardized. It is not good either for the police, and all these can be addressed by determining how a body that does not exist, the socalled The Ogoni Patriots can write petition; fishing for crimes to incriminate me.
The dangerous nature of this piece of journalism makes it inexpedient to ignore the frantic charges. The timing proves that it is an exigency media package to benefit frauds and corruption. The con reporttrickily camouflages the police powers of law enforcement to intimidate me, and to attack MOSOP by setting me up for junta-style persecution. The report inadvertently gives the appearance that the office of the Acting Inspector General of Police is coming after me. It is very clear that this is meant to distract the public as MOSOP Alerts President Goodluck Jonathan of massive frauds in MOSOP. The investigation of the report can correct the public perception that someone involved in frauds may want to use the police as a tool to cover-up. The report is published at a time that the Ogoni people want to hold Ledum Mitee and Prof. Ben Naanen accountable for missing funds.
The author of the Leadership report is Ledum Mitee's friend: Anayo Onukwugha. He operates from the newspaper's office in Port Harcourt. He has developed a pattern. See below for an extract and also a link evident of his unprincipled journalism.
“Towards the end of August 2011(the next link below): Anayo Onukwugha came to Eleme and had approached individuals and openly suggested that a protest would be appropriate to draw attention to the UNEP Ogoniland Assessment Report.” MOSOP reacted to another false and alarming report of threat by Ogoni youths, also written by Anayo Onukwugha: See link below:
1. (http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/nvnews/69583/1/mosop-has-not-authorized-any-protest-in-connection.html).
There is another angle to this unhealthy media practice. See link (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1109/S00659/mosop-operative-calls-for-media-reforms-in-nigeria.htm)
The newspaper he Anayo Onukwugha represents looks quite great on the newsstand. Indeed, a truly daily publication is it; but it can do better, to positively lead in the just cause of the Ogoni people. It can balance its report to inform and educate, which is how it can possibly influence the economic, political and social reforms process in Nigeria. Instead, to try to create leverage for Mitee and his cohorts at a time there is urgent call for accountability. The police authorities can discover who The Ogoni Patriots, if not Anayo Onukwugha. It is not the first time and the Police in Port Harcourt, Rivers State are familiar with Ledum Mitee's masked petitions.
Can falsification of crimes benefit the Police, Government or Leadership Newspaper? Media falsehood, no matter who is involved cannot help the Ogoni cause, while at the same time demanding for equity, fairness and justice? My background in journalism – 14 years of practice, teaches me that the Leadership report in question is unethical, and a complete betrayal of public trust. Journalists enjoy press freedom in public trust. To earn public trust, it is part of the media's responsibility to expose crimes with facts, not to create facts in order to report crimes that did not happen.
I implore the Nigeria Police Force, particularly the Acting Inspector General of Police to kindly investigate the report in question.
Very truly yours:
Dr. Goodluck Diigbo
MOSOP President/Spokesman
Open Letter: Sent through Rivers State Police Command via Email