IDORENYIN UMANA AND OBA GUBERNATORIAL ASPIRATION: MATTERS ARISING BY TOROBONG EKPO. As per the forthcoming gubernatorial race in the state, I had enormous respect for the aspiration of Obong Bassey Albert, though, being an advocate of governorship seat to Eket Senatorial District, I saw in OBA, a force to reckon with in this contest because of his gigantic strides in mobilization of youths, women and elders towards realization his governorship dream. However, my kind gesture and respect towards this ebullient and generous man may be halted due to the activities of his close friend and supporter, Mr. Idorenyin Umana, who for the past few weeks, have issued a threat message to me on Yahoo group and has indicted my boss, the Editor in Chief of The Ibom Telegraph of being a tout, adding that, our media outfit is sponsored by a lawmaker. I would have taken his statements as an act of mental degradation, but considering his present portfolio as the special adviser to Ibiono Ibom Local Government Council and his age on his facebook timeline, which indicate that, he was born in 1975, it go a long way to prove that, his utterance was agreed upon by both his mental and physical elements, thus, he should be held responsible for the current predicament I am currently facing. As soon as I am through with this article, I shall also petition the Director of State Security Service, the police, Civil Defense corps, The Nigeria Union of Journalist and the government of Akwa Ibom State in order for them to check the activities of Idorenyin Umana and his sponsors, in case any evil befall me or any member of the Ibom Telegraph Newspaper. Also as a result of his threat messages and event which metamorphose from the text, I have for quite sometimes left the confines of my room, and I have also been sleeping in unknown destinations, mostly uncompleted buildings and churches for fear of men of the underworld. My current predicament has caused me to incur malaria ailment. Shortly, after the last week edition of The Ibom Telegraph Newspaper, with caption, ‘2015: Bassey Albert to withdraw from race’, Idorenyin Umana, the progenitor of Friends of Bassey Albert on facebook and a die-hard supporter of this aspirant has taken as a duty to tarnish the image of the said medium, as well as threatened me, the political editor of the outfit with a message on Ibom Chronicle yahoo group. Hear him, ‘…be ready to face us his supporters who believe in Bassey Albert potentials to govern the state effectively’. About thirty minutes after he pasted this short, witty but stern statement on the internet, I started receiving strange calls from unknown numbers who kept warning me to deviate from their boss, else die like Late Dele Giwa. Also, about 7.30 pm on Wednesday, 24 September, I received a text message from 08037894509, which read, ‘I kn ur house, and I wnt 2 warn u 2 leave my oga alone, else I go 2ru away u like Dele Giwa’. Since, then, I have leaved my domain so as not to be killed by this assassin. The said Idorenyin Umana, also issued a press statement on behalf of Obong Bassey Albert and said, ‘it is just a pity that other unpopular aspirants have developed cold feet because of the growing popularity and acceptability of Obong Bassey Albert, the next governor of Akwa Ibom State…after a thorough investigation, I found out yesterday that The Ibom Telegraph which published the rubbish is edited by a tout and is owned by an unpopular aspirant who is currently in the state house of assembly. My investigation has it that, the unpopular aspirant is having sleepless nights and thereby decided to front a local tabloid with a tout as an editor to carry out those dirty media jobs… .’ From his press release, it is obvious that, the said Idorenyin Umana may have been co-opted as either chairman or member of the publicity subcommittee of Obong Bassey Albert gubernatorial ambition, because Press Release is the statutory right of media agents. It is also vivid that, Idorenyin Umana may have been sent by his boss to indirectly tarnish the image of our media outfit. Despite the fact that, The Ibom Telegraph is duly registered with the Nigeria Union of Journalist and has qualified and practicing journalists as reporters and editors, it is quite obvious that through the content of Idorenyin Umana press statement, the general public have discountenance self from Ibom Telegraph, as clients have for these periods stopped buying the papers and also doling out advert for the outfit. It is alleged that, people who previously patronizes the medium as factual, truthful and objectivity driven started losing hope as a result of the content of the press statement issued by OBA’s media agent. It is a pity that, Obong Bassey Albert rather than approaching court of law to seek redress has employed a ‘secret media’ officer with unprinted words to deter the image of our tested and proven medium. Even an illiterate woman in the village know the court of law as the best place to go, if one is not conversant with a certain news item, but Obong Bassey Albert, has rather resorted to sending his ardent supporter to issue threat messages as well as tarnish the image of Journalism in the state through press release. My instinct keeps telling me that, OBA may not stoop so low to sending assassins for me, however, I wish to know who the sender of the text message was referring to as ‘our Oga’. Could it be Idorenyin Umana or Obong Bassey Albert? But OBA that I have watch from a distance could not stoop so low to attack his constituency (the Media). Anyway, anybody can adapt to change, be it positive or negative. I am so aggrieved because I lest expected trait of blackmail and character assassination emanating from the camp of Obong Bassey Albert, who everybody including the government of Akwa Ibom State love without iota of sentiment. I guess that, even if OBA did not like the banner headline of The Ibom Telegraph, he would not have resorted to issuing such a press release from Idorenyin Umana. At least, OBA’s media team is pregnant with leading men of proven integrity in the media profession. Aside from Comrade Ubong Asanga, who is my junior in this pen pushing profession, the rest of his recognized publicity subcommittee members are at least half a decade my senior in this occupation. I still wonder why, Idorenyin Umana with such high level of vulgar and abusive words should be found in the media circle of Obong Bassey Albert. I have decided to pour out my mind in this article, because the recent press release by Idorenyin Umana has done more harm than good, to our duly registered media outfit. At least for quite sometimes, no sales, no advertorial have been found in our editions. Critics have said that, Idorenyin Umana’s action is an indication of the would-be policy of OBA if given a chance to govern the state, to some extent, it may be true, as neither the gubernatorial aspirant nor his recognized media team have relieved themselves from this character assassination meted to us by the special adviser to Ibiono Ibom. If this persists or no explanation is tendered, I shall be poised to believe that, OBA is behind the scene. Though it was alleged that, Mr. Ita Benedict, a former media aide to Governor Akpabio, issued a press release, but was immediately countered by Idorenyin Umana who ventured into casting mud on another gubernatorial aspirant. It should be noted that, if any harmful act happen to me or any member of the Ibom Telegraph Newspaper, Idorenyin Umana should be held responsible as he clearly in his press statement said, ‘‘…be ready to face us his supporters who believe in Bassey Albert potentials to govern the state effectively’. Also, shortly after this threat, I have been receiving strange calls from unknown numbers and text message from 08037894509. I wish to know, the owner of this number as well. Idorenyin Umana should know that, 2015 will come and go, but Akwa Ibom State shall continually remain one despite who becomes the governor. He should not kill or amputate me or any member of our media outfit in order for his aspirant to win election. He should tell those that have been calling my line with strange mobile numbers, if he knows them, to leave me alone. I also urge Idorenyin Umana and his sponsor to expatiate with substantive evidence on the lawmaker sponsoring the Ibom Telegraph and well as the tout in the editorial team of our great medium; else I will be prone to say that, it is a blackmail taken too far. Garnished with the testimonies of some of the authorized members of OBA publicity committee, I may to some extent believe that, the former Finance commissioner may not be aware of the threat messages and blackmail, but since Idorenyin is his dire-hard supporter and the progenitor of friends of Obong Bassey Albert on Facebook, his action speaks volume. It behooves on gubernatorial aspirants to choose their supporters lest they jeopardize their ambition. OBA may be loved by many, but the statement by Idorenyin Umana shows that, he dabbles into dirty politics. Because I don’t see any reason why his supporter should draw a battle line with the media as well as indict another aspirant of sponsoring an outfit. Finally, I wish to submit that, except Idorenyin Umana refuses to expatiate on those issues raised on his press release, I shall continually accord Obong Bassey Albert the unalloyed respect and loyalty. As a person, I cannot consider clapping hands for someone whose stock in trade is to indirectly use his agent and mar my profession and outfit for the purpose of election.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 21:05:30 +0000
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