These are serious allegation according to Daily Post, We hope the Rivers State will issue a statement to clear the air soon,The build up to the 2015 general election has no doubt witnessed a number of
propaganda and counter-propaganda by both the ruling People’s Democratic Party,
PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC. This is not unexpected with eight
months to general elections. Nigerians are in for more juicy news items, both
credible and otherwise.A report on Pointblanknews.com, had chronicled how
“agents of the APC and Governor Rotimi Amaechi invited some online praise
singers to Port Harcourt for a thank you dinner, and that each got N5 million
for the dogged bashing of the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration”.The news site
said the event was put together by one of Amaechi’s “lackeys” Preye Aganaba,
who invited from Abuja, Lagos and Owerri, ardent critics of Jonathan.
Continuing, Pointblanknews wrote: “A reliable source close to APC interim
publicity secretary, Mr. Lai Mohammed disclosed to Newsday reporters that APC
had released the sum of N300 million to be shared among its online “warriors”
for the final push against Goodluck Jonathan and a possible fall of the
Nigerian government.“This strategy is coming amidst an excellent result from
the Public Relations firm the party hired from the United States in the tune of $1
billion to help the party tarnish the image of the Nigerian government. The PR
firm which managed Obama 2008 and 2012 campaign has been instrumental to
Nigerian government being featured in the international news media as weak and
corrupt”.
It was alleged that some persons who go on Facebook and Twitter “to portray
themselves as patriots, were sent air tickets to fly to Rivers State.
The governor took them round the state where he showed them only his
achievements”, the report further stated.
It continued that although 49 individuals were invited, 34 reportedly
attended the event Tweetcasted via #TheAmaechiIKnow.It said present were
Kelechi Jeff Eme, Femi Adeoya, Petra Akinti Onyegbule, Preye Aganaba, Jasper
Azuatalam, Japheth J Omojuwa, Soni Akoji, Theresa Ugwuanyi, Danjuma Azemobo
Musa, Kelechi Deca.The list also include Oviebor Okeh Goodluck, Eba Okorodudu
White, Mercy Ugo and Uche Igwe, Eze-Basil Chinwendu Oluo D’Oracle, Ross
Alabo-George, Mark Olise among others.Victoria Ohaeri-Ibezim, Bukky Hassan,
Tokunbo Aremodua, Susan Henshaw and a few others were said to have missed the
event.
Reacting to an enquiry by DailyPost, one of the participants, Japheth
Omojuwa, dismissed the allegations.The political commentator and social media
expert said “it was posted by a platform posing as Sahara Reporters.
Pointblanknews is linked to Reno Omokri just as NaijaPundit and WarriReporters.“I
was in Port Harcourt.
As I speak am being owed N44,509.00 for air fare and taxi fare. I was not paid
a dime and I know Rinsola Abiola was not paid either.“This is nothing but an
update on their blackmail. I will address it in my Punch column on Wednesday”.On
his part, Soni Akoji, whose name appeared on the purported cheque spreading
online, described the story as totally false and misleading.He bared his mind
through a rebuttal titled ‘Visit To PH, N5 Million Photoshopped Cheque And
Matters Arising’.
It reads in parts: “My private visit to Port Harcourt as a part of 49 persons invited
for an interactive forum with the Governor as part of activities marking his
49th birthday anniversary has been generating ripples. The high point of it all
was the allegation that we were hired as “Attack Dogs” to abuse the Federal
Government and each of us was paid N5,000,000.00 as reported in an online
magazine.“Initially I thought this was a joke, but based on the avalanche of
calls that I have received within and outside the country, and from private
messages from well meaning friends and family, I have been made to understand
that some people actually believed the story that we were paid N5 million,
after they saw a photoshopped cheque purportedly issued to me by the Rivers
State government.“I have posted a blank picture of the original cheque and the
photoshopped cheque purportedly issued to me by the Rivers State
government, so that we can put the issues emanating therefrom to rest.“Firstly,
the names on my ID is not Soni, but Sunday. So based on that alone, no teller
anywhere in the world will honour that cheque if I present it across the
counter in a bank.“Secondly, the purported cheque issued to me was an open
cheque. Government cheques are ALWAYS closed /crossed cheques.“Thirdly, there
was only one signatory. This is not in line with global best practice.
“Fourthly, in line with the CBN banking policy, the maximum withdrawal over
the counter from second or third party cheque is N150,000. (Hope I got that
right?) So this cheque will have to go through clearing. This means that I will
have to pay it into my current account. The name on my current account is not
Soni.“Since we are talking about inducement, permit me to appeal to the
sentiment of those who believed that this cheque was symbolic as the real
cheque might be somewhere else. Take it from me, I am not aware of the
existence of any other cheque off blogosphere. Neither was I enriched by a
single kobo for participating in the interactive forum #TheAmaechiIKnow”.Sunday
reiterated that the event was packaged and sponsored by friends of Amaechi as
part of activities lined up for his 49th birthday“It was a privately funded
event and I can categorically say that the Rivers State Government’s
involvement is in the area of logistics”, he added.Email enquiries to Mr.
Omokri and David Iyofor, Ameachi’s Chief Press secretary were not replied as at
the time of filling this report.
Source: Daily Post
No comments:
Post a Comment