Niger Delta
Bayelsa Ministry Resorts To Intimidation, Arrests … As Journalists Uncover Fraud
The Bayelsa State Ministry of Education has launched arrests and intimidating tactics against Journalists practicing in the State over reportage of fraud in the Ministry.
The Tide learnt that trouble started when the duo of Mr. Francis Dufugha, Publisher/Editor-in-chief of the Niger Delta Herald and Mr. Emem Idio of the Vanguard Newspapers reported on fraudulent deductions allegedly perpetrated by the Director of Finance and Administration (DFA) of the Ministry against contractors handling projects in the Ministry.
Journalists who fielded questions from the duo, when they visited them upon hearing that they were arrested by officers of the Zone 16 of the Nigerian Police Force in Yenagoa, the State capital, owing to a petition allegedly entered against them by officials of the Ministry, report that the reportage did not fall short of ethical practice and conventions.
They noted that upon getting wind of the fraudulent allegations levelled against some officials of the Ministry, as chequered professionals, they also resorted to hearing from the DFA before Press time.
“We never imagined doing our jobs legally and professionally could incur the wrath of the ministry officials who from their actions were hell-bent on arresting us as a ploy to intimidate and silence the media in the state.
“When we got wind of these allegations on fraudulent deductions on various sums of money due contractors executing projects in the Ministry of Education, we quickly reached the DFA to hear from him before publication, yet the ministry petitioned us and got us arrested by the Police”, they said.
Calling on the State Government to be weary of some of its appointees and others holding positions of trusts in the State, the duo said though they were unhurt on the first day of their arrest, they were again invited on Wednesday to appear before the Police for further questioning and investigation.
“But we’ve never been so surprised that in this information age, beaming our searchlight as Journalists, through investigation, in order to illuminate the truth has become an offense due to someone’s high handedness and phoney deals in the State’s Ministry of Education”, the duo added.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa