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Raymond Ozoji, Awka
The commissioner for trade and commerce in Anambra state, Dr.Christian Madubuko, has cautioned journalists in the state on what he described as misrepresentation of facts on issues concerning the activities of the ministry he is currently spearheading.
The commissioner was discontented over some reports in the media alleging that he ordered the removal of the portraits bearing the image of the immediate past President-General of AMATAS, one Okwudili Ezenwankwo, from the traders’ house in Onitsha. He said it was false as he didn’t give such directives to anyone to execute.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Awka yesterday, the commissioner stated that he could not fathom the reason behind deliberate attempt by some journalists in the state to twist facts as well as slant their reports even though such reports, according to him, lacked credibility and character by all standards.
Madubuko noted that he was misquoted, misinterpreted and miswritten in the print media. He said it was an offence for one to say something and be advertently misconstrued in writing.
He further noted that journalists who were at the event had him recorded but he was astonished at the charades that were published in the newspapers stressing that the true spirit of journalism was being murdered by such unethical practice.
According to him, “I don’t want to take anybody to court but I have told them clearly, if you must report me, report what I said. You don’t report negative things when I have not made such comments.
“For instance, in their reports, they said I ordered the removal of the portraits of the former President-General of AMATAS. I never did and I never spoke about that. They heard me clearly and they interviewed me.
“They said I said Governor said. I never quoted the Governor and I never said anything that I was directed to remove any portraits. But in their reports they mentioned those things and that was clearly to show they were working for somebody.
“So I have told them if you cannot report what I said, do not record me. But if you want to report what I said verbatim, then record me. I have sounded that as a warning. Let it be that it was a mistake.”
The commissioner therefore commended the Nigeria Union of Journalists Anambra state council noting that not all journalists were involved in jaundiced reporting except those he said engaged in journalistic infrastructure. He equally charged the leadership of the NUJ in Anambra to caution her members to report what they have seen in the fields as well as eschew subjective reporting.
