My attention is drawn to a claim by one Cyril Ujam that “unidentified men who claimed to have come from the Enugu State Police Command last Friday tried to seize Mr Ikem Okuhu… at a funeral in Umabor, Eha Alumona, Nsukka LGA of Enugu State.” The said Cyril in his piece claimed that Okuhu “suspected that the powers that be in Enugu State were behind the attempt to seize him.” Whatever that means.

Okuhu was quoted by the said Cyril to have also said that he suspected so because I, Reuben Onyishi, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Enugu State on New Media, had on August 3, 2023 bragged in a WhatsApp platform group, Nsk LGA Political Class, that he and Aniebolam Nwamu would soon be arrested and clamped in detention for what I said was cybercrime.

I needed to rebut this because of decent minds that may encounter Okuhu and his mischievous lies. The fact remains that Okuhu and Nwamu deserve to rot in jail for their many nefarious activities, bordering on peddling of fake news, making incendiary statements capable of engendering fear and public unrest, damaging false reports against the person of the Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Peter Mbah, the Secretary to Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, as well as the Chief of Staff, Barr. Victor Udeh, and all manner of damaging false claims, even against the former governor of the state, Dr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, using their Enugu Monitor blog and the so-called Ikem’s Journal.

It may Interest the general public to know that I had warned Okuhu and his partner in indecent journalism, Aniebolam Nwamu, to desist from peddling damaging fake new.. I made it clear to them that such act could someday land them in jail, and I did not mince words about that. The said Okuhu had through his Ikem’s Journal published damaging fictions against my person, called me and my mother unprintable names, and cast false aspersion on my birth. I had allowed all that to slide, and moved on.

Media Rights Agenda to which he referred, and ran to for cover, I should think, is a responsible body that would not contain such brand of journalism as Okuhu practices. So, Okuhu should enjoy no protection from the body for his many atrocities in the name of journalism. Enugu State Government had at no time infringed on the rights of any journalist. Those who allegedly used their blogs to circulate false news were questioned by the police, and that did not in any way suggest Enugu State Government arrested any journalist as Okuhu mischievously claimed.

The fact Is that neither the state government under Peter Mbah’s watch nor I caused anyone to attempt to kidnap Okuhu as he claimed. The Mbah Administration is concerned with serious issues of governance, and would not deign to the despicable level from where Okuhu shrivels. No! We would not be distracted by the ranting of an Ikem Okuhu and his co-travellers on the route to vile journalism.

Okuhu should report to the police if they invited him to answer to a petition or any alleged crime, and leave me and the Enugu State Government out of it. Neither I nor the Mbah Administration petitioned the police against Ikem Okuhu. Everyone knows that Okuhu has been circulating falsehoods against many persons, including his benefactors, a pointer to his ingratitude. Everyone might not contain his mischief and evil machinations. The right thing to do is answer to the call of the police. Invitation by the police is not tantamount to kidnapping attempt; it is not even a conviction of guilt. So, why is Ikem Okuhu afraid of reporting to the police when they, according to him, told him clearly that there was a petition against him? The wicked flees when no one pursues. If the police wanted to pick him by force, they could have done that, but they probably thought he would respond to their invitation. They did not know Ikem Okuhu lacks character. In his rascally manner, he refused to honour the police invitation, only to claim unidentified persons attempted to kidnap him. In all, neither Enugu State Government nor I have anything to do with Ikem Okuhu and his police invitation. Ikem should do the needful, and cease clutching at the straws.

•Reuben Onyishi is SSA New Media to the Governor of Enugu State.

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