Elder Statesman and frontline politician, Chief (Dr) Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has issued a rejoinder to one of the front page news items carried by TRUMPETA Newspaper of Friday 19 March, 2021.
This Newspaper had in the said edition quoted Iwuanyanwu to have allegedly made the comment at a recent function.
Iwuanyanwu in a widely circulated statement which was also directed to TRUMPETA described the story carried by the Newspaper as false and malicious.
According to him, “My attention has been drawn to a publication in your TRUMPETA Newspaper of Friday 19th March, 2021 captioned “I regret voting for Owerri Man 2021 Election- Iwuanyanwu.
“I have carefully read through the publication and to say the least, I feel thoroughly embarrassed that a Newspaper of your stature will engage in such malicious and false misrepresentation.
Your publication is completely false in its entirely. So many other electronic and print media were present at the occasion and was carried live”
The Chief from Atta, Ikeduru LGA of Imo State went further to state that “It is my belief that your publication was intended to malign and bring me to a state of disrepute in the eyes of right thinking people of the society.
“I therefore, request that you retract this publication immediately and publish exactly what I said. Many people watched the ceremony live. It beats my imagination where your reporter got this information.
Trumpeta wishes to make it clear that it has no reason to join issues with Chief Iwuanyanwu over the matter since he has denied the statements credited to him. The Newspaper holds Iwuanyanwu in high esteem not only as one of the Leaders in Imo State but also a key player in the Media Industry.
Suffice it to note that it would not serve the medium any profit to indulge in the act Chief Iwuanyanwu referred to while issuing his reaction concerning the publication.
While not indulging in acts that may cause tales of sad moments for the Chief, it is trite to state that a Trumpeta editorial staff was at the venue and carefully listened to Chief Iwuanyanwu before making available his news for publication.
Trumpeta reassures Chief Iwuanyanwu and readers of unbiased editorial approach in line with best practices in Journalism practice.
However it is important to note that Chief Iwuanyanwu said “ I voted an Owerri man to become Governor instead of Senator Hope Uzodinma but now, I have realized that he is a child of divine arrangement, he is now my beloved son, please listen and support him”.
By implication of these words, a reader or listener does not need an interpreter to decode that the revered Chief perhaps regretted voting for an Owerri man in 2019 considering his utterances at the event.
Without possibly forcing words on Chief Iwuanyanwu, the headline captions the words used.
Trumpeta as a Newspaper House also has the license to use choice headlines emanating from words spoken by a figure in the public. The case of Iwuanyanwu is not an exception in this regard.
