Nathan Tamarapreye
A civil society group, Integrity Group has condemned the attacks on the home grown BARAZA Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited and the personality of his Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Miebi Bribena by the Nigerdeltaconnect.com and the NaijaliveTv.
The cooperative society pools resources from its members for investment in foreign exchange trading and makes returns to investors monthly.
A statement from the coordinator of the group, Mr Henry Ebilade, urged the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists at the State and National levels to sanction the two online media outfits over alleged unprofessional conducts.
He said the conducts of Mr. Moses Oruase of Nigerdeltaconnect.com and Mr. Saint Onitsha Miepamo is bringing the noble profession of Journalism to disrepute.
He said with the series of their online publications they have thrown the ethics of the profession to the dogs by parading falsehood and maligning the good name Pst. Arc. Bribena.
Referring to some of their publications, especially the ones with the headlines such as, Panics, as Arc. Miebi Bribena absconded to Ghana and Withdrawal of Appellation Pastor, Ebilade said it violated the known ethics of Journalism profession.
Journalism profession, according to him, is all about presentation of facts without any bias, but, with their reports, it glaringly showed that the two publishers are hell bent in pulling down BARAZA Cooperative Society, and as well tarnish the image of Arc. Dr. Bribena.
He said their publications had inflicted untold hardship on over 25,000 members of the BARAZA Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited.
Stressing the need for the NUJ at the State and National levels to wield its sledgehammer on the two practitioners, he said it would serve as deterrent to others.
According to him, what these two people are doing, especially name callings and mudslinging is purely not Journalism.
“How dare you say that somebody eloped to Ghana without evidence to back it up. Not only this, but you are also alleging a man of God of immorality without having facts to back up your allegations.
“Instead of lacing your allegations with facts, you are telling him to go for re-baptism and rededication of his life through Altar calls.
“This is pure libel and needs to be investigated by the leadership of the NUJ at the State and National levels.
“Arc. Dr. Bribena is an associate member and of NUJ and has equal right like every other member of the union,” he said.
He said it was sad to note that the employees of the two online media outfits are respected members of the Union but because of the ownership influence, their sense of news judgement have been clouded and obscured.
It is on record that Arc. Dr. Bribena has been of blessing to the people of the State, and every attempt to bring him down must be resisted.
The group, therefore, called on the leadership of the NUJ to call these two people to order and preserve the integrity of the truth seeking profession of journalism.