Thursday, July 4, 2013

NUJ Panel On Blackmail, Extortion Probe Begins Sitting

The panel set up by the National Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to probe allegations of professional misconduct, blackmail and extortion levelled against the Publisher of Desert Herald magazine, Tukur Mamu, by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Tuesday began its sitting with a vow to execute its mandate dispassionately with a view to restore the glory of the journalism as an objective and trustworthy profession.
At the session, three top officials of the FCTA appeared and testified before the committee.
They are the Special Assistant (Media) to the FCT Minister, Mr. Nosike Ogbuenyi, the Director of Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS), Hajiya Jamila Tangaza, and the Director of Treasury of the FCTA, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Bomai.
The sitting took place in at the NUJ Press Centre in Utako District, Abuja.
The officials strongly debunked the claim by Mamu that the N15 million payment he demanded from the FCTA via text messages was for advertisement and consultancy services.
They contended that contrary to the claim of Mamu, there was never a time any advertisement or consultancy contract was approved, negotiated or discussed with Mamu or his agents.
During the sitting, all the members of the three-man panel, namely Mr. Gbenga Onayiga, Chairman, Alhaji Yusuf Idris, Member and Akin Orimolade, the Secretary and the Northern Regional Editor of Newswatch Daily Newspapers were present.
The panel members drilled the officials on what transpired between them and the Desert Herald publisher, Alhaji Tukur Mamu, which verged on professional misconduct, blackmail and attempted extortion of N15 million by the latter.
The FCTA officials were asked several questions concerning their interaction and dealings with the Desert Herald magazine and its publisher.
The officials, who appeared separately with their lawyers, answered questions put to them by the panel members during separate sessions that cumulatively spanned about three hours.

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