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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, has demanded N5 billion damages from the publishers of New Telegraph Newspaper over a news report he referred to as a defamatory publication against his person.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Thursday evening by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kula Tersoo.
The governor also demanded that the paper retract the story.
The online edition of the New Telegraph Newspaper published a story on Monday, December 11, 2023, with the caption ‘2027: Alia joins forces with Rotimi Amaechi …donates Lexus LX 600 SUV to fiormer transportation minister.’
Tersoo said the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Fidelis Mnyim, described the said publication as “false and fabricated.”
He added that the report was done to demean the character of the governor and to paint him bad as someone using state funds to offer gratification and compensation for personal favours.
According to the statement, the defamatory story had made the governor to appear as someone who is insensitive to the plight of the Benue people and party men who supported and voted him into office on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
“The publication made available online portrayed the governor as unprofessional, unprincipled, unethical, dishonourable, unreasonable and prejudiced public officer who is insensitive, indifferent, and apathetic to the plight of the Benue people and party men who supported and voted him into office as the Governor of Benue State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
“The said publication was with a clear intent and motive to vilify, malign, denigrate, disparage and defame the governor and portray him in bad light in the eyes of reasonable members of the public, especially to incite the Benue people, members of the All Progressives Congress and the general public against the governor.
“The publication was made in an invidious, unpleasant, insidious, sinister and treacherous manner and it has inflicted and caused grievous pains, shock, anguish, psychological torture and trauma, humiliation, degradation, dishonor, embarrassment and dehumanisation of the the governor, and reviling and holding the governor up to public obloquy, lowering him in the estimation of the public, and exposing him to disgrace, dishonor and contempt,” Tersoo said.
The CPS added that the Commissioner for Justice stated that the report was done in total disregard for the Code of Ethics for Nigerian journalists and is injurious to the person of the governor and the government of the state, especially as the governor is someone who is seen as a noble man of sound character, who commands respect in his spheres of influence.
While calling for the withdrawal of the publication, he also demanded that apology be published in the newspaper within the next 24 hours as well as payment of N5 billion as compensation for the injurious publication.
Failure to do these, he said, would attract a court action.
“On account of the foregoing, our the governor has instructed us to request and or demand, and we do hereby perfect those instructions, that: (a) You withdraw the offensive publication forthwith accompanied by a clear and unqualified apology to be published conspicuously in the next issue of your publication. (b) You pay compensation to the governor in the total sum of N5 billion only for the damage caused to his reputation, integrity and character. (c) You are to act within 24 hours of the receipt of this letter
“Take notice that if the demands herein are not addressed, resolved or fulfilled within the time prescribed, the governor shall be at liberty to seek redress in a court of law, in accordance with the remedies outlined above, without further recourse to you,” the statement added.