By Henry Ibya, Makurdi
Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State have ordered publishers of Concord Newspaper to retract within 24 hours and also tender unreserved apology to Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, and Benue lawmaker Jonathan Agbedyeh, over what they described as mendacious propaganda and damaging fiction with the intention to dent their reputation.
The stakeholders who gave the order Sunday during a press conference in Makurdi, addressed by Chief Fanen Hyongo, the spokesperson of the group while reacting to the Concord Newspaper edition of March 18 and 19, captioned ‘Sankera killings: Akume moves to free detained Benue lawmaker from DSS net’ ‘Why is Akume protecting Agbedyeh, a man accused of Sankera crimes’.
APC noted with dissatisfaction that the two stories which according to them did not carry any byline had fallen short of journalism ethics of truth, accuracy, fairness, objectivity and balanced reportage, and insisted that the newspaper should withdraw the ‘misleading’ information as the stakeholders would not hesitate to instruct their lawyers to institute legal action against the media outfit.
“Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered about these reports which obviously is a hatchet job by the online medium, sponsored by political enemies of Jonathan Agbedyeh.
“To however, set the records straight, we have to debunk the mischievous reports by Concord Newspaper and offer clarification to those who do not know”, Hyongo pointed out, explaining that the purported signatures of the said petitioners of a group Concerned Shitile Movement for Peace, warning Senator Akume to allow justice to prevail in the case of Agbedyeh does not exist.
Hyongo on behalf of the stakeholders recalled that the March 19 publication of the same medium, equally pronounced the SGF guilty of aiding and abetting in crimes.
