Imo Trumpeta Newspaper, published by Trumpetason Investment Concept Ltd is Eight months on the News stand today. Although, the maiden edition hit the streets on September 26, 2011.
However, many people have asked why we decided to present the Newspaper today, instead of waiting for the first year anniversary and then make the public presentation. There is no specific reason, only that this is the time we think is most appropriate for this official outing.
I will say that Imo Trumpeta is a child of circumstance. I will expatiate on this as we go ahead.
First of all, I want to state in all honesty that this Newspaper is wholly and entirely owned by three gentlemen, Henry Ekpe, Kelechi Mejuobi and Gerry Ogu.
The trio are both the promoters and producers of Imo Trumpeta Newspaper. The three of us are seasoned Journalists, who have never done any other thing in our lives except journalism.
However, during the last administration inImoState, it pleased some of the actors in the dispensation to invite us to contribute our own quota to the development of Imo state, through our chosen profession, journalism.
While I worked as the Chief Press Secretary to the immediate past Governor of Imo State, Dr Ikedi Ohakim, Kelechi Mejuobi worked as the Chief Press Secretary to the immediate past Speaker of the Imo House of Assembly, Rt Hon Goodluck Nana Opiah.
In the other hand, Gerry Ogu worked as the Coordinator of Ikeduru West Development Centre. Before we got our various appointments, we had related very cordially as colleague journalists.
As I worked as the Editor of Announcer Express, Kelechi Mejuobi was the State Correspondent of New Age Newspaper and Gerry Ogu was the State Correspondent of Compass Newspaper.
Any resident of Imo in the last 10 years would have known our antecedents in the area of journalism. Before delving into public administration in the Imo State Government in the last administration, we had remained steadfast in our Jobs as journalists by making sure we retained the ethics of the profession, by informing, educating and entertaining the reading public through our various medium without minding whose ox was gored.
This professional stance fetched us a lot of enemies and troubles, from those who think you must twist the story to favour them, rather than the truth, either because of the position they occupy in the society or believe that their wealth can make a thorough bred journalist bend the fact.
Kelechi Mejuobi, I can vividly remember, had clashed with the powers that be, because of his strong belief in professionalism.
During the burial of Late Senator Ama Iwuagwu some years ago, a certain past Governor of Imo state collapsed during the church service and was rushed out in an ambulance. While other journalists “Killed” that story, Mejuobi sent it and it made cover the next day in New Age Newspaper and Imo was set on fire. When Mejuobi was “cornered” with gratification from the state government to recant the story, he maintained his grounds and stood by his story. From hence, the authorities knew that there are some men with principles in journalism, and never joked with Mr Mejuobi.
In my own case, I have been once kidnapped for a story I carried in the Announcer Express, over a Local Government Chairman arrested by EFCC. The story was correct yet the chairman sent gunmen after me. I have been a guest of Imo State Police Command and the State Security Services SSS for uncountable times, for stories, whose owners wanted to use intimidation and power to subdue, yet I stood by my professional ethics.
Just recently, some youths who claim to belong to APGA ambushed me, left me for dead at the Owerri High Court premises for what they described as my attack on the present administration. But only God knows I was simply doing my job, and worse still, nobody came out to debunk the said stories.
Gerry Ogu was among the journalists who were a thorn in the flesh of former military Governor of Imo State. Tanko Zubairu during his days with Thisday Newspapers as the Imo State Correspondent.
He is an old war Horse, who has spent time also in police cells in the course of his duty for standing on ethics. He has paid his dues, and still paying.
Indeed, because of our “activism” in journalism, by standing by the truth and professionalism we were dubbed the “Talibans” by our colleagues.
However, we never thought that we would one day come together to form a company, until the last administration in the state was voted out, and we suddenly found ourselves in the unemployment market.
But as professionals, we immediately pulled our resources together and formed Imo Trumpeta Newspaper. Therefore, rather than being employees, we became employers of labour with about eight graduates and non – graduates working in Imo Trumpeta today.
The main reasons for floating Imo Trumpeta were nothing but to inform, educate and entertain our readers.
We also believe to make profit so that we can pay our workers and also feed our families.
However, all these we intend to achieve without destroying any body by being unbiased in our reportage.
Unfortunately, there has been the belief in some quarters that some top politicians are behind Imo Trumpeta. There is also the rumour that Imo Trumpeta was specifically floated to attack a certain section of Imo public. These are false and baseless.
Therefore, we openly challenge whoever says he is part of Imo Trumpeta, apart from Henry Ekpe, Kelechi Mejuobi and Gerry Ogu to open up now, or forever shut up.
Imo Trumpeta is for all Imo people, including those in private businesses, civil servants, etc and all the three arms of government, namely, Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, with the two tiers of governments, the State and Local Governments.
I want to state here that in journalism, no matter what you write, there is the possibility of one party feeling offended. That is why all parties involved are contacted to state their own side of the story before any story is being published. Yet one party still complains. That is the burden of journalists.
Some times, the party can even deny or claim misquoted.
Therefore, in this circumstance, what any aggrieved party ought to do is reach out and explain his/her own story.
Then, it is after this noble act has been done and if the paper fails to publish the reaction that the party can arrive at any conclusion of bias.
As earlier stated about the pedigree of the trio, we are not out to run anybody down, neither are we afraid to publish the truth at all times. We are not also afraid of what may happen to any of us, provided the story is a fact. Therefore, three of us should be solely held responsible for whatever that is published in the paper and not any other person.
Our doors are open to all customers, as we welcome you to the PUBLIC PRESENTATION of “IMO TRUMPETA TODAY”. May God bless you as you come.
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