In reply to the twenty four hours ultimatum and threat given to this Media House, by a Group said to be representing the interest of Ihitte Mbieri Youths, following a previous publication of an incident that took place at Mbieri between the Imo State State Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere and youths of his community, fresh facts are beginning to emerge over the indecent acts extended to the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere, who allegedly received boos and jeers in his Community, Mbieri, Mbaitoli LGA.
Madumere was at the receiving end of discourteous and unpleasant gestures from youths of Mbieri when he made out time to hold interactive sessions with youths of the area at the weekend.
Apart from the jeers and unprintable snags that characterized the end of the show held at Amaulu Mbieri Primary School, where the interaction was held with youths of Ihitte Mbieri, another worrisome development occurred at Obazu where a similar scenario played out.
Inspite of a terse statement issued by some persons claiming to be leaders of Ihitte Mbieri youths, reasons for the unkind gestures visited to the Deputy Governor are emerging.
According to a cross section of youths interviewed at the Amaulu School Compound at the end of the session that ended on a foul note, the youths took a swipe on Madumere for failing to justify his second-in-command status since the area lacks basic amenities and accessible roads.
While expressing that the position of Madumere has not yielded the expected dividends that would have turned around the fortunes of his people, the youths regretted that unlike other politicians in the state who doled out Christmas packages and New Year gifts to their people, they received nothing and were only brought out to listen to his long speeches.
One of the youth leaders in the area, Barr Chinenye Uzoma, who is also the president of Owerri Zone Youth Forum, described the embarrassment meted to Madumere as an indication of his total rejection by his people and Imolites in general.
Uzoma stated that based on the Deputy Governor’s alleged disregard to issues that affect his people and ineffective representation of the interest of the Zone, it prompted his rejection by people of Mbieri, Mbaitoli and Owerri Zone.
“The treatment meted to the Deputy Governor by his people shows that he may have failed and unable to protect the interest of his people”. Other youths who spoke on the issue noted that while the state government is priding itself of building thousands of kilometers of roads in the state, the road leading to the Deputy Governor’s community is the worst in the state.
“This is a verifying fact. Go and find out. There is no need for any body to start threatening Trumpeta Newspaper for saying the truth” the source said.
A young lady who simply identified herself as Juliet Eke from Amaulu Mbieri cast aspersions on the Deputy Governor over the state of Hardel Junction road (Orji) leading to Umudagu-Umuonyeali that is his electoral ward. Said she “We have not benefited anything. Look at the state of our roads. Did you not follow Hardel Junction from Orji to this place, how is the road? Okay, check that of Nkworji to Obazu Mbieri, the same bad road and everyday the state government is saying it has constructed 1000 kilometres of road. And our people did not have the benefit or putting our main road in order. And we say, we have a Deputy who cannot facilitate the construction of these roads I mentioned”.
One of the young men who pleaded anonymity for fear of victimization, but expressed happiness at the treatment meted to the Deputy Governor was of the view that what they have only gained from their brother was only yearly shows at Nworieubi, Mbaitoli Council headquarters. “There is nothing more. This Christmas, my brother, go to other communities and see what their people who are in government did for them. Nothing for us here from our brother Deputy Governor, not even a bag of rice that flows freely during the festive season. He brought us out today some of us left our businesses in Owerri and Aba hoping to get Christmas packages. What he only came to tell us after the discussion was that he is with his Oga in APC. He still expects us to watch him talk in empty stomach. That was why we came out to line up expecting some transport fare which he failed to do resulting to the booing and jeers. What we hear na stories”, he added.
Other youths who rushed to Trumpeta to confirm authenticity of the story of how Madumere suffered embarrassment lampooned the so-called youth leaders who signed a release adding that they are bunch of self-seeking persons that have been deceiving the Deputy Governor. According to the youths “they are not representing our interest because no body gave them the powers to do so. They are self seeking surrogates working for their selfish intentions”.
The youths went further to threaten that they would not hesitate to make public the video footage of the recorded events at the Amaulu Mbieri, showing what transpired.
According to the youths who stormed Trumpeta office in droves “We challenge our brother to reel out his achievements if not the Magistrate Court, Police Station and the Beauty Contest which does not benefit or empower any Mbieri youth. The road leading to his father’s house in the village is in bad shape. Our land was taken for an industrial purpose. But till date, we have not seen anything. What else has he to show for holding such exalted position?
In the same vein the management of Trumpeta, especially the editorial desk has described the statement credited to some persons parading themselves as leaders of Ihitte Mbieri as uninformed verbiage emanating from modern century rabble rousers.
Though, while trying not to join issues with the so called youth leaders following the crass ignorance showcased by them, it is pertinent to state that the youths who made the statement are not only a shame and disgrace to the highly revered Mbieri Clan in Mbaitoli LGA but aptly fits into the derogatory remarks expressed by the media aide to the Deputy Governor, Uche Onwuchekwa who in an online statement said “we met a handful of opposing and irresponsible elements who were well bent on disrupting a supposedly progressive gathering of brothers”.
Trumpeta intends to inform the so-called youth leaders that facts are sacred in journalism and the operators of the Newspaper undertakes best ethical standards and practices in the course of discharging its duties.
While the concerned signatories may describe the initial report “Madumere Under Fire: How Kinsmen Booed Number Two Citizen at Mbieri as “disheartening and reprehensible” because it touches their paymaster, they forgot that the job of a responsible medium is to highlight, inform and educate the masses irrespective of whose ox is gored.
For clarity of purpose, a Trumpeta reporter who the management does not owe any person, or group the obligation to disclose the identity was at Amaulu Primary School for the event. A chronological record of the events and picture should have been a clear testimony for the youths not to have challenged Trumpeta report on the Madumere story. While Trumpeta in the said report raised areas where the Deputy Governor received kudos for attracting police station and magisterial court, the area he received backlash from the youths were also highlighted, which is balancing in Journalism ethics.
To further confirm the authenticity of the report, a picture came alongside the report even as more pictures are underway including a video footage.
The ignorance of the youths who may have been willing tools in the hands of exploitative politicians also manifested when it questioned a picture captured during the rowdy session placed at the back page but maintained incriminating silent on the cover page picture where Madumere was being besieged by his people at Amaulu School compound while hurrying to go.
In line with Othman Dan Fodio’s famous quote “Conscience is an open wound only truth can heal” the youths should not engage in self-destructive tendencies by going further to expose their kinsman who is holding such enviable position. Already an authentic Group representing the interest of Ihitte Mbieri youths has come up to defend their actions. Trumpeta owes nobody except truth and factual reports. The reactions of Madumere’s media aide corroborated our report.
For the avoidance of doubt, Trumpeta holds Madumere in high esteem as the Deputy Governor of Imo State and will continue to partner with relevant bodies and agencies in the course of giving readers accurate stories. Journalists must be allowed to practice their profession, while politicians do their business. Threats and blackmails do not solve problems.
