BY VICTOR NWEGEDE
Barr Orji Uche Orji, Ebonyi Commissioner for Information and State Orientation.
Ebonyi Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barr Orji Uche Orji on Monday cleared airs surrounding the arrest and detention of Mr Godffery Chikwere, an erstwhile Presenter of the state radio station, Ebonyi Broadcasting Corporation, EBBC, following his Facebook publications allegedly not in the conformity of the state law.
Orji while briefing newsmen debunked the social media speculation accusing him of the arrest and detention of a Journalist in Abakaliki.
He said that his office has confirmed that Mr Godffrey Chikwere popularly known as Baby Mouth is not a member of the Fourth Estate of Realm.
The Information Commissioner maintained that Chikwere's arrest and detention were because of his Facebook publications that can degenerate security threats and political apathy in the society, stressing that the rising cases of killings and hatred across ethnic divides in the country emanated from inciting speeches and unverified social media posts.
"My attention has been drawn to a social media post and speculation that my office was used to cause the detention of a practicing Journalist in Ebonyi State.
"But I am using this medium to categorically state Mr Godfrey chikwere is not a member of Journalists in Ebonyi State since I have confirmed from State Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ.
"The NUJ clearly stated that he was not a member of Journalist," Orji said.
Giving account of the contents of the Facebook publications made by Chikwere which led to his arrest and detention, Orji said: "The said Godffrey Chikwere published and stated among others that it is clear that if Army is an arm of armed forces, that the Army is seriously and willingly loosening respect and that's capable of discrediting integrity of the Army and of course, you know the implications.
"He also mentioned that politicians would get youths to kill persons or to murder persons and will return get them engaged, give them money to do business. So, that kind of allegations are capable of causing political apathy in the state."
Explaining further the cause of arresting and detaining Chikwere, the former media aide to the state governor, Orji said: "But the truth of the matter is that as a Ministry of Information and State Orientation, in keeping with the mandate of ensuring orientation to the people as against bad habits and also in keeping with its duty in sensitizing the people and ensuring the implementation of Ebonyi State Law on Cyber-crimes Prohibition 2021 (which is law 012 of 2021), we had to swing into action by trapping any person spreading fake news on social media, publication or however, any other electronic means.
"Incidentally, this said Godffrey Chikwere happened to be one of those that we found to be in the habit of posting fake information and spreading hate speech.
"As a matter of fact, Ebonyi State has passed a law on this and it's my duty as the Commissioner for Information not only to sensitize members of the public but also ensure the implementation of that law because it thus concerns information dissemination, and it happened that Godffrey Chikwere is one of the persons that's a suspect."
He revealed that about two persons had been arrested and charged to court relating to the fake news and hate speech cases like Chikwere.
According to the Commissioner, "we have had two cases where people who were seen circulating fake information.
"They were arrested and quizzed. Once premia facie was established and police has to do the needful.
"We have had a case of PA to the Vice Chancellor Ebonyi State University who is under this administration was arrested, quizzed and also charged to Court."
Orji however, stated that the case of Godffrey Chikwere can never be treated separately or exceptionally, urging members of the public to join in the campaign against fake news and hate speech in considering their negative implications to the society.
"All these killings and all these hate issues here and there are as a result of social media posts, that are not true.
"Ebonyi State is an exceptional State because we're in a haste to develop. As a young state and we wouldn't like to involve in all those things that will bring about crisis, violence and distrust among states of the federation.
"We are committed in ensuring that we step out of challenges of hate speech and fake news in Ebonyi State.
"Let me also mention that Godfrey Chikwere was once a staff of the civil service in the state and I can tell you that sometimes he had to pull out because of issue about his result.
"So, we are not trying to talk about his character but I can say that I have been having series of activities that's anti development in nature and it's our duty to find a way of bringing him to book," the Commissioner stressed.
He said that the police have done their work and urged the general public to remain calm until the accused person being tried according to the state law prohibiting hate issues.
"For politicians to begin to take advantage that Godfrey Chikwere was arrested to be peddling alot of rumours and castigating government. I want to tell them that Godfrey Chikwere is just like any person that could be invited by the police and that the law is not a respecter of anybody," Orji added.
Talking about his health statue, the Commissioner said he was only aware that Godffrey Chikwere was arrested healthy and sound, but not hospitalized as rumoured. "I was not aware that he was hospitalized. I'm just seeing that in social media and very sure that when he was arrested, he was healthy," Orji said while insisting that Baby Mouth was not a Journalist but trying to curry cheap sympathy from the professional body.
When contacted the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Loveth Odah said that she was going to see Godffrey Chikwere, the accused at the hospital and could not make further clarification as at time of filing this report.
