FMC ABEOKUTA MD sues online medium, demands N50m damages



For disregarding the sacred media ethics on objectivity and balanced reportage, the Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre Idi-aba Abeokuta, Prof. Adewale Musa-Olomu, has slammed a N50m damages on the 'Salient times online medium for an alleged "injury caused" to the Medical Director in the recent publications by the medium.

Prof. Musa alleged that 'Salienttimes online' had, in the recent times, played a willing tool in the hands of some elements who were opposed to the second term bid of the Medical Director.

He argued that to achieve their orchestrated objectives, they fed allegedly fed the medium with unsubstantiated information, concocted lies and fake documents.

Musa wondered that the medium, rather than cross check the authenticity of it's information from the Medical Director or any of his aides, had on two occasions rushed to the press with it's malicious publications.

The MD maintained that such practice was a clear disregard and departure from the media ethics which stipulated that fair hearing must be accorded to all concerned parties before a publication is effected.

A letter from the Medical Director's solicitor, AbdulFatai Oyedele and delivered to the Publisher of the medium on Friday 28th May, 2021, specifically demanded a retraction of the offensive publication made on 23rd May, 2021 by the medium.

Similarly, the medium was asked to tender a public "apology to our client to be issued vide your medium on line platform to be published for seven consecutive days"

In addition, " a sum of N50,000,000.00 ( Fifty Million Naira) as damages for the injury caused to our client by your said defamatory publication" the statement added.

The Solicitors had, among other things, debunked all the allegations contained in the said publications.

"Your medium made these allegations without recourse to their veracity.

"Your approach therefore smacks of utter bad faith" the statement added.