Some 26billon Naira has been stolen from Ondo State account at Intercontinental bank according to reports from at least two media outlets, SharpedgedNews.com and Huhuonline.com. [Update, 7/25: here are screen shots of the articles on Huhuonline and SharpEdgeNews, click to view.]
What do I care?
I do care as a indigene of the state. I care because this is a serious allegation that needs to be proved convincingly by the instigators. However, there are no indications that the report is accurate.
“Some of the looted funds are suspected to have surfaced in some western countries with the just concluded so-called business visit of Mimiko in the company of his Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinyele Ogundipe. They were said to have visited the United States and United Kingdom and Ireland. Some unidentified individuals were said to have met with the Governor alongside Akingbola during one of the meetings.”
The governor was never in Ireland as the instigators claim. And in the absence of hard evidence–such as pictures, copies of visa entry, and other appropriate materials that can stand the scrutiny of the court of law; these are nothing but empty allegations and character assassination.
It is interesting that one of the instigators is Mr. Emmanuel Emeka Asiwe–the owner of, and editor at, Huhuonline. Mr. Asiwe came to global limelight after his unlawful arrest and detention by the Nigerian security forces in October 2008. His arrest was reported on this site, Nigerian Curiosity, Oluniyi Ajao, and several others. The event later spurred some media turbulence back home and globally.
It is a pity that Mr. Asiwe, who ought to stand as a vanguard for justice appears engaged in what looks like a cheap smear campaign. I and several others have commented to the post on Huhuonline, the question that begs to be asked is what does Awise and his co-instigators stand to gain for this allegation?
Bro, why are you wasting your time on this matter? It is the most silly write up on Mimiko in recent time. Huhu and co are like drunks who you don’t pick issues with. If they have there facts, they would have published it by now.
July 24, 2010 at 11:23 am
There are a lot of journalist-wannabe out there that would publish all sorts of junk in a name of scoring a scoop. As long as the people that elected Mimiko in are not complaining, then the likes of Awise can go to blazes! By the way, the governor just got another award..I’m sure the paper will cover it this coming wk.
July 24, 2010 at 6:39 pm
this story holds no water!
July 25, 2010 at 7:14 pm
By the way Mimiko is the Financial Standard Governor of the Year:
http://www.financialstandardnews.com/newsdetail.asp?cat=71
Emeka Awise and other character assassins can go take a jump!
July 25, 2010 at 8:50 pm
@ Dayo: What else can I say, some can work to pull down, but it is clear whose report to believe.
It appears the article has been removed on Huhuonline when I visited today. Awise has eaten his shit!
July 26, 2010 at 6:53 am
Emeka Awise is a fraud. He has a track record, so I’m not surprised. He has no credibility and dances to the tune of the highest bidder. He is from Edo state, what business he has with Ondo state is best known to him.
July 26, 2010 at 7:08 am
It time people like Awise are deal with for using the power of the internet to propagate falsehood. There too many of his like around this days. That he pulled down the article, one can tell he’s a fraud.
July 26, 2010 at 7:16 am
it is interesting to read what Huhuonline has on its “about us page. This statement caught my eyes:
‘…as an independent e-news medium established for the purpose of presenting objective and impartial reporting of events…
Early in our history, we acquired a reputation of loyalty to the citizens and obligation to a diligent search for truth or its best approximation due our belief that only truth can bring liberty and that falsehood can never triumph over truth.”
What a double talk! But he’s right for one thing: “falsehood can never triumph over truth.” Never!!!
July 26, 2010 at 9:02 am
You ask “what does Awise and his co-instigators stand to gain for this allegation?”
Cheap publicity! And Emeka Awise and his likes do not care how they do about that. It is wicked that some buffoons can hide behind the veil of the Internet and write false reports.
Shame on Huhuonline!
July 26, 2010 at 10:10 am
I have been having series of interesting conversation with Mr.Awise since the news broke. I just wanted to feel him out and ascertain if he’s aware of the fallacies of his report.
Also, I was pained that it has become too easy for less scrupulous people—who would hide under the anonymousity of Internet—to write about others without respect for the truth.
I’m happy the writer posted this blog on the matter, and also glad that Awise has eaten the shit he dropped.
My prolonged email exchanges with Emeka offered me an excellent opportunity into his personality. He was adamant his story is accurate, yet he had no problem pulling it down. I asked him to follow-up and post a statement on Huhuonline acknowledging his errors; unfortunately he could not overcome his pride to do what credible and people of integrity do. Yet, he could write on his website “about us” page—as one of the commentators have shown us—that his enterprise exist ‘for the purpose of presenting objective and impartial reporting of events’.
I have to impress on him severally that I do not work for Mimiko or acting as a hireling. His belief is that only such people (who have something to gain) would be interested to do what I did. He is wrong. I acted as an ordinary citizen—we are in the era of participatory media, this is what he failed to realize—I and others have the power to challenge writers and journalists on their work. I’m glad this blog and commentaries have done same too.
Just like many journalist-wannabes out thee on the internet, Emeka Awise is not who he claims to be. He is a fraud of the worst kind; a self-centered, egoistic scoundrel whose sojourn on the Internet is to rake in as much as financial gains as possible for himself and cronies. Like a rabid dog, Emeka Awise is a danger to the sanity of the Nigerian online media and needs to be dealt with thoroughly. Fortunately, that process has begun.
July 26, 2010 at 10:49 am
This is interesting. It appears Huhuonline bit more than it can chew! But why the focus only on Awise
July 26, 2010 at 11:13 am
Henry, it is interesting you asked your question. This afternoon Oladimeji Abitogun the editor of Shape Edge News mentioned in the article contacted me via email. He thought we had met and that I’m a Special Adviser to Gov. Mimiko and wanted me to back down
. Here is the note he left, titled “let us respect Governor Mimiko’s desire!”:
“This is Oladimeji Abitogun. Remember all the discussions we had while I was in Nigeria recently. I am assuming that this is Mr. Ayo Adeniyi, S.A (Special Duties) to Governor Mimiko? The story you have been having an exchange with huhuonline over was taken down because the Governor personally called a few of us and I gave my words that I got his back not influenced by pecuniary gains. I am an Ondo State free born and I had been a friend of Governor Mimiko longer than you may want to imagine, I was fully with him in the trenches even while I live in exile in the United States. I do not understand why anyone would want to prolong a matter that the Governor has already brought into closure. Please let us give peace a chance and I have told the CPS and the Commissioner for Information that I do not like the copy of your tik-tak with Emeke. I hope we can work together. Have the peace of the Lord.
Please note:
1. I have never met this character before in my life.
2. He claims to be a friend and supporter of the governor, yet his article are loaded with cheap lies!
3. His claim that governor has contacted him is as false as calling white black!
4. He claims he has given his word, yet the malicious article remains posted on his website.
I’m still analyzing the content of the email, but it is clear these characters (Awise, Abitogun and their gangs) operate with little regard for fairness, truth and balance. They are charlatans with no scruples. Now we know!
July 26, 2010 at 7:38 pm
The story appears to be grown wings and legs! Certainly there is more to the reports than meets the eye. It is unfortunate that the governor has a tepid media team. These accusation as flimsy as it may be deserves proper response from appropriate quarters.
One thing for sure, Mimiko is a smart man that would probably not call a reporter to kill a story. That is making room for blackmail. Mimiko won’t do that,, I hope.
July 27, 2010 at 6:46 am
The story appears to be grown wings and legs? Certainly!!! Thank you all for your comments. Based on what I have read on- and off- line since the story broke, it is clearer to me now that there are several Nigerian Internet-based “news entrepreneurs” whose agenda is to score cheap publicity and line their pockets with thick wad of $$$. May God help Nigeria.
My cursory check into Mr. Abitogun email above indicate there is nobody by that name on the governor’s staff. So who did he spoke to, and what’s the nature of their conversation?
Certainly this Oladimeji Abitogun has been in and out of the Ondo government circle–he has video-interviewed the Governor and the Commissioner for information within the past 6 months.
The story on Huhuonline, which the editor has decided to bring back online is a morphed from Sharp Edge News, and it appears the latter is the originator of the article and passed it on to his cronies to publish.
It is disturbing that the Mimiko administration has been very lukewarm to this malicious reports, but what do I care!
July 27, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Now I know why Omotaylor has been less impressed with active online work and reading. Now I understand why Prof Wole Soyinka has no interest in blogging and now I know why as much as we try to balance, one lays oneself open to abuse and scammers. Not to worry though, still trying to figure out which is the best way to go. Any ideas folks?
August 4, 2010 at 5:04 am