ELOMBAH AND HIS WARPED NEWS WRITINGS

James Amamchukwu

Elombah.News does not cease to amaze his reading audience with the trash he dishes out as news. The blog, managed by two brothers, Daniel and Timothy, would seem to have sworn to negative reports since joining the army of bloggers. Perhaps as a last anchor for the struggling duo, they turned their into blogging and smearing of anybody or institution which fails to indulge
them.

To understand this, Daniel, the elder of the two brothers and the bigger partner in the blogging business, resides in London where he plies his trade as a shyster. His effort at making a living from law practice was not rewarded by his penchant for pay-as-go news story. Unable to raise his trade over a period of time, he decided to try his hands in blogging business.  

Thus came the ElombahNews. The news blog was more a business venture than information management outlet. Rather than work hard to carve a niche for himself in the online publication business in order to compete with some of the best in the industry like Sahara Reporters, Daniel opted for cash and carry journalism. He began to seek and blackmail real and imagined enemies. To do this, he recruited his younger brother, Timothy who, as a broker-dealer, had some difficulty managing his own business. So by the time the offer came, Timothy was already on the street, nearly scavenging for daily need. He was in Abuja today and Lagos the next. It was tough. In the local parlance the no balance for the guy. He was in this situation when the offer of s blogger was made to him by his brother. Expectedly, he l lapped up the offer.

Together, both brothers swung into action of syndicated defamation of their victims. They maligned personalities and institutions as they deem fit. Already a checklist of people, notable personalities and uncooperative governments, who have fallen victims of their poisonous pen stories abound. ElombahNews blog has continued the negative progression without regard for the ethics of the online network publication.

It is in line with this negative mindset that they decided to smear the personalities of Barrister VeraQueen Ebelechukwu Okonkwo, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Anambra State on Chieftaincy Affairs. In their desperation to sound credible, they also mentioned the name of the President General of  Okonkwo’s Umuoji community, Chief Silas Onyima. For the records, Barrister Okonkwo has no business with the crowning of Igwe Umuoji. Umuoji has an Igweship succession plan that no one man or woman can truncate no matter how powerful the person is. Besides, Umuoji, like most Igbo communities, is a patriarchal society that hardly panders to the authority of women. In their eagerness to suck up to their paid masters, the Elombah brothers accused Okonkwo of trying to install “her puppet” as the new traditional ruler of Umuoji. A certain Chief Anayo Okoye was mentioned as the puppet whom they accused of being bankrupt.

Few things are to be considered here which the slanderers did not bother to explain or were too absorbed in their hate writing to think through. One why would Barrister Okonkwo whom they accused of imposing various outrageous levies on Umuoji community alongside the PG choose a debtor over and above others who would buy her support? Why would Okonkwo choose Anayo Okoye over and above her own immediate brother who is also a contender to the Igweship stool? Why would Okonkwo choose to bring her years of service in government which have spanned a period of sixteen years to disrepute? Why would Okonkwo who is yet to meddle in other communities that have coronated their kings decide that Umuoji is the place to end her career in crisis?

There are facts the Elombah brothers are not aware of or if they do, are determined to sacrifice because of their greed for cash and carry reportage. Barrister VeraQueen Okonkwo is not poor. She is also not avaricious. She has had a relatively comfortable home both in her maiden home and her husband's. She is the second daughter of late Chief Ezekwesili P.C. Umeadim Onwuachu of Dimboko village and married to the popular Chief Okwuabudike Basil Okonkwo(Basi Ndem) late of Aguma village both in Umuoji. Pointless to remind her traducers that Mrs. Okonkwo had reached a certain station in life (even before her appointment in government) where she could satisfy most of her needs. She does not have to involve herself in the drudgery of Igweship stool either for money or influence. She does not need either as she is sufficient onto herself.

Anybody who knows Okonkwo will appreciate how inane the Elombah brothers sounded with pedestrian logic. Their wild allegations, especially of meddlesomeness and avarice, at best succeeds in defining who what ElombaNews stands for.
If she were accused of independent- mindedness and speaking truth to authority, the bloggers may be ignored, but certainly not the wild claims by Elombah and their sponsors. Okonkwo does not crown kings, has not crowned any and will not begin with her Umuoji community. Elombah (Daniel and Timothy) should ply should be more diligent in their work.

Understandably, Okonkwo does not give money which would have angered the two brown-nosers, but it is not enough to malign a woman who has handled matters to the admiration of both the people of Anambra and the royalty. Okonkwo has worked hard to be where she is today and does not need to install a puppet ruler in her community to further her gains. She has never hugged unnecessary limelight and does intend to begin now. Elombah and their sponsors should look for another sucker for their cheap money.

James Amamchukwu

Umuoji