Our attention has been drawn to internet posts seeking to link Mr Umana Okon , Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government (SSG) with the alleged recent attack by unknown persons on an Akwa Ibom state based tabloid called Global Concord. Mr Umana totally rejects these insinuations and wholly dismisses all attempts to associate his name with the attack on the local newspaper.

http://blog4all-com..com/2013/07/advertorial-umana-rejects-link-to.html


Mr. Umana is a man known for his insistence on due process. He is a man who deeply abides by the best democratic principles; a believer in the rule of law and an advocate of peace. Despite desperate attempts by political contractors to use some unprofessional section of the press to malign him, Umana has remained calm and unperturbed.

The Bestman Media Team would therefore like to state as follows:

1. That Mr. Umana Okon Umana has no hand, whatsoever in the said attack, which he has personally condemned as barbaric, uncivilized, undemocratic and a relic of a culture of impunity that must not be associated with a state emerging as hub of national activities like Akwa Ibom state.

2. That Mr. Umana Okon Umana has no media "experts", whether one or six, as stated in the report.

3. That the only group authorized to speak or act for and on behalf of Mr. Umana and his political ambition, is the Bestman Media Team, a team of professional media volunteers. We want the public to note that the so called media experts mentioned in the report are not known to Umana, they do not have his consent to make any statement or carry out any activity on his behalf and therefore, any actions, statements or activities emanating from such quarters do not represent Mr. Umana Okon Umana's actions, or politics. They are strictly on a frolic of their own.

4. We maintain that Mr. Umana Okon Umana knows the course of action open to him if his rights are infringed upon by the press, as he has been consistently infringed upon by Global Concord and other such newspapers that have been used extensively by political opponents in attempt to rubbish the good image and character of an innocent man, whose only offence may simply be his desire to serve his people in the capacity of a governor. Despite such destructive publications Mr. Umana has continued to display rare forbearance and tolerance to his traducers.

5. We state that Mr. Umana Okon Umana as a democrat understands the great role the media play in the furtherance of the people's rights and the deepening of democratic culture in any society. He understands the role the Nigerian press played in the enthronement of the democracy we are currently enjoying, so he has a great respect and love for the media and media practitioners, and therefore cannot do anything that would impede the freedom of the people to inform and communicate.

6. As a media team, we urge the Nigerian people, especially Akwa Ibom people to take note of the activities of some newspapers published in the state that are simply targeted at some individuals on how to caste them in negative colors, which are usually lies, fabrications and outright falsehoods.

7. We call on the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Akwa Ibom state to look inwards and cure its rank and file of the activities of some miscreants who have found in the media industry a platform to defraud, blackmail for a fee, and destroy innocent individuals in the society, all in the name of journalism. It is time for self cleansing.

8. We want to once more condemn the attack on Global Concord and urge all the supporters of Mr. Umana Okon Umana to continue to display the discipline, decorum and maturity associated with our principal, in all their activities.


http://blog4all-com..com/2013/07/advertorial-umana-rejects-link-to.html