The attention of Trumpeta newspaper has been drawn to a letter written to the Management from a legal firm representing interest of the State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
The letter signed by Chief E.O Onyema, of Eddy Onyema and CO, claimed that the caption of the Newspaper of Thursday December 14 2017 captioned “Okorocha Escapes Mob Attack from Traders” was falsely written to allegedly malign the Governor.
In paragraph two of the letter, the counsel to the governor claimed that the publication “is completely false and unfounded and was maliciously fabricated not only to malign and disparage our client but calculated to incite the people against our client and cause fear and alarm to the public and engender a breach of peace”
Therefore, an immediate retraction was demanded, within 24 four hours, which seems incomprehensible by law of fair hearing.
Trumpeta Management wishes to state that as a responsible media outfit bound by the principles of fair and firm Journalism, it has no intent whatsoever to malign any one not less the person of the governor of Imo state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
That as a Fourth Estate of the Realm and Watchdog of the Society, the Newspaper has an obligation to always be on the path of truth irrespective of whose ox is gored.
Even as the counsel to the governor or the media unit was unable to give an accurate account of what transpired between the Chief Executive of the State and the traders at the New Market section in the reaction, it is not a hidden fact that Governor Rochas Okorocha was at the market at the given time to address the traders on Wednesday as reported by the newspaper. The counsel in did not deny this fact in the letter to Trumpeta Management.
Secondly, there was a reported incident where the traders allegedly threw items at the convoy of the governor. There were also eye witnesses accounts to the incident which also showed up even in the social media.
It is not also hidden about reports in the market that the governor hurriedly withdrew from the area when the situation changed which invariably suggest that the traders may have been out for a sinister motive before he quit the scene.
Our reporter who also visited the scene observed the quantum of stones, dangerous items and sachets of pure water packs littered the area; an indication that it was thrown at the governor before he left the area.
The counsel to Owelle Okorocha would have also known that as the Chief Executive of Imo State, activities of the governor cannot pass unnoticed in public sphere and as such it is the duty of the media to give information about his encounter with people. Such incident is also not an exception. Therefore, such reports have no intent to malign the governor as being alleged, but to inform the masses, about the activities of their elected Leaders.
While restating the decision of the management to apply best practices in discharging of its duties, the newspaper expresses worries if the said report has the capacity to “incite people against our client and cause fear of peace” as claimed by the counsel to the governor in the letter addressed to Trumpeta newspapers.
Once again, for clarify purposes, the Management wishes to state that the publication was done in good faith to principally inform the public and not to malign the governor, in any way or form as the case may be.
In a similar development, the owners of the newspapers have been receiving strange calls in their private lines by unknown persons.
Though the callers did not disclose any identity but the action may not be unconnected with the editorial style and stories carried by the newspaper.
Also strange persons have been moving around their private homes and offices. This is a notice to the public that the lives of the Publishers/Directors are in danger.
