Stop These Attacks On Global Concord

The attention of Global Concord newspaper has been drawn to a publication in pages 1 & 6 of Wednesday Pioneer and page 8 of Update Newspaper of Sunday May 9th 2010 credited to NUJ Chairman and tagged: “NUJ Chairman Frowns at Emergence of Questionable Newspapers”. The said story which is credited to the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Akwa Ibom State council, Mr. Ephraim Etti claimed that Global Concord Newspaper, published by WealthRange Nigeria Ltd is not registered with NUJ and wickedly and maliciously ranked its staff with quacks in the profession. The story, instead of having the picture of Mr. Ephraim Etti whom it is credited to, opted for that of the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Information Mr. Aniekan Umana to underscore the underhand dealings of government officials in the plan to clamp down Global Concord.

While attempting to ignore the unpleasant and subjective remarks credited to the Chairman of NUJ on Global Concord, we feel necessary to urgently brief the public on the campaign of calumny by Mr. Ephraim Etti and others. We wish to state the following facts as they are for the general public to disabuse their minds:
Global Concord Newspaper is a tabloid published and printed by WealthRange Nig. Ltd, a company licensed by law to engage in business of Newspaper publishing, printing and circulation in the country and any other allied businesses.
The staff and reporters of Global Concord are trained and qualified journalists who have practiced journalism for years now. For avoidance of doubt, Mr. Solomon Johnny who is the Editor-in-Chief of Global Concord is a Journalist by profession and in practice. He has worked with newspapers like Community Shield as a trainee journalist, left to Community Pulse to become her Principal Reporter and rose to the position of News Editor of Community Pulse before resigning to Global Concord.

Mr. Unyime Ekwere who is the Chairman of Global Concord Editorial Board is a journalist by profession and training. He has worked as a Principal Reporter of Insight Newspaper before being the Political Editor of Community Pulse Newspaper and Editor-in-Chief before leaving for Global Concord. With this certification and practice, Mr. Etti and those who think and speak like him, while we see them as rumour mongers and blackmailers, we warn against further utterances incident to ignorance of our educational/professional qualifications which is not and should not be seen as public documents when not necessary.

That it is not a crime that we as indigenes of Akwa Ibom State have pulled our resources to start independent platform for the practice of true journalism in Akwa Ibom State, but a crime against humanity by government or its agent to attempt to clamp down our enterprise and impoverish our minds and leave us idle.
That contrary to claims by Mr. Ephraim Etti that Global Concord is not registered with NUJ, we wish to inform the general public that the medium has registered itself with the Federated Chapel of the NUJ to get the legitimacy to publish and circulate in the state. Let's remind Mr. Ephraim Etti that Federated Chapel is a branch of NUJ in case he has forgotten.

That not all writers in a Newspaper are by professional standard expected to be journalists since the media is a channel of expression. It should be understood at this point that all, irrespective of their profession have the right to express themselves. Thus, our columnists, principally Thomas Thomas, a partner in the business have the right to reach Akwa Ibom people, to educate, inform and re-orientate their minds on current issues as they affect Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria at large. They are men who are by learning so much aware of the intricacies and ethics of the profession.

If Mr. Ephraim Etti thinks otherwise, he should come up with any Newspaper in Akwa Ibom State or Nigeria which both reporters and writers are journalists all through. Then he will have the locus standi to blackmail and blacklist Global Concord from operation as anticipated.

That the statement of Mr. Ephraim Etti in the said news is a paid falsehood to nail Global Concord and cause disaffection to her from members of the pupblic.
Ephraim Etti is indirectly telling the whole world that he is working in collaboration with Akwa Ibom State Government via Mr. Aniekan Umana, to clamp down Global Concord and frustrate our enterprise. It is a confirmation of where threats to our lives have been coming from since our second edition went to the market.
Let's use this occasion to tell Akwa Ibom people that on several occasion we have been promised assassination if we do not “compromise with government” as campaigned by her agents in power.
That we are sorry that Mr. Etti never sent a call to either the Editor-in-Chief of the paper or Chairman of the Editorial Board, but went ahead to scandalize our reputation and our company. He lied when he said our phones are always switched off. We have been receiving calls and text messages from many people on daily basis, so he lied.
That as journalists and members of NUJ, we are liable to be protected by the Union contrary to the postulations of Mr. Etti, the Union's Chairman.
Finally, we wish to request Mr. Etti and Mr. Aniekan Umana who is the Commissioner of Information of Akwa Ibom State to allow a little percentage of the freedom of expression which seems to have been gagged in Akwa Ibom State. Let us have the freedom to express the views of Akwa Ibom people so that the aim of having the media as the fourth estate of the realm will not be defeated. If this is done, government will equally benefit as she would feel the pulse of the people through the paper.

We should be allowed to practice without threats, harassment and embargo. We would want the Chairman of NUJ to respect his office and the right and dignity of persons in Global Concord and reverse himself to disabuse the minds of the public. While we cannot afford an office accommodation due to financial constraint; we wish to urge Mr. Etti and any others having business to do with us to use our E-mail or dial our numbers as are indicated at appropriate positions in the paper. We will soon get an office accommodation.