Delta Local Polls: Majemite Accuses Journalist of Being Used by Her Detractors ….No, You are Wrong, You Cannot Win This Battle – Journalist

Our Corrrespondents

Ethiope East Chairmanship aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief (Mrs.) Faith Majemite has accused the publisher of Delta Voice Newspaper, John Oghojafor of being used by her political detractors to scuttle her chairmanship aspiration.

But  the Delta Voice Publisher who was allegedly assaulted by Mrs. Majemite on Friday, July 11, 2014 at Government House, Asaba said his hands were clean, alleging a threat to his life by Mrs. Majemite and made it clear that she cannot win the battle she has embarked upon against him.

Head, Political Communication, Faith Majemite Solidarity Movement (FMSM), Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, in a press statement after the alleged assault on Delta Voice Publisher explained that; “Very early this morning, (Sunday July 13, 2014) a journalist told me via sms that Chief (Mrs.) Faith Majemite, (The Oniemor of Agbon Kingdom), allegedly assaulted one Mr. John Oghojafor, a reporter with the Delta Voice during an official event at the Government House, Asaba, Delta State.”

According to him; “I am also briefed that the Media in Delta intend to wage “a media war” against the person of Mrs. Majemite, the only visible and potential aspirant for the position of Ethiope East LGA in the forthcomingOctober 25 election.”

He said; “In the light of the above, I wish to make some clarification to members of the Press and to the general public in the following itemized position; That Mr. John Oghojafor hails from Kokori community in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, same as Mrs. Majemite, That it is true that Mr. Oghojafor is a Journalist and a reporter with the Delta Voice,That the said Ogojafor has in recent times deviated from his lawful journalistic practice and delved into the murky water of politics by making himself available as “a professional political letter writer” to some political detractors of Mrs. Majemite.”

“That recently, the said Mr. Oghojafor was alleged to have written a letter to the amiable Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, under the auspices of “CONCERNED POLITICIANS OF CONSCIENCE IN ETHIOPE EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA” with the sole aim of causing total and irreparable disaffection between His Excellency and Mrs. Majemite by informing the Governor that Mrs Majemite is using his name to prosecute her political ambition illegally, that Mr. Oghojajor through the letter which he allegedly wrote for his clients (CPCEALGA), tend to have pitched tent with some identified failed politicians who are now outcasts in Kokori Community and elsewhere, for their poor political representation and for embezzling huge funds meant for constituency projects and other abandoned projects in Ethiope East LGA, totalling about 67 projects for which funds has been duly collected.

“That the said Oghojafor has fractured the feelings of the collective “Will, Hope and Aspirations” of the Kokori and Agbon communities as well the consensus endorsement of Mrs. Majemite as the PDP most
potential and visible aspirant for the position of Chairman, Ethiope East LGA, that Mr. Oghojafor has issues to iron-out with the progressives in Kokori community and the teaming supporters of Mrs. Majemite, for pitching tent with those failed politicians who have consistently obstructed development and the socio-economic well being of the good people of Kokori in particular and Ethiope East in general,  That the said Oghojafor has through his action breached the rules of professional conduct of the Journalism profession by becoming partisan as a working journalist by taking side with some political
actors in order to undo the lofty political ambitions of PDP most preferred aspirant for the LGA election, Chief (Mrs) Faith Majemite.”

He added that; “In the light of the above, I wish to urge members of the “Pen” profession to investigate the political activities of Mr. John Oghojafor by visiting Kokori town in Ethiope East LGA to get the true
story of Mr. Oghojafor’s paid political write-ups and ill-conceived letter he wrote to His Excellency on the instructions of his clients who may have greased his palm to do so.

“Mrs. Majemite out of curiosity engaged Mr. Oghojafor in a chat at the Government House, Asaba with a view to exposing his partisanship in Kokori politics and to tell him that as a Journalist he has finally
soiled his “pen” fingers for joining forces with her political detractors to blackmail her to the Governor. The said letter has since been relegated to the “bust-bin” of irrelevance as Chief Ighoyota Amore also endorsed her at the weekend.”

The statement added that; “It is therefore unnecessary for the “Media in Delta State” to wage press war against the person of Mrs. Majemite for the above mentioned reasons and for the fact that Mr.  Oghojafor has breached the rules of professional conduct by delving into the realm of partisan politics and acting as a “pen hit-man” for some political actors and detractors of Mrs. Majemite.”

“Chief (Mrs.) Faith Oniemor Majemite , expresses her sincere appreciation to members of the fourth estate in the realm (Journalists) for the support they have accorded her political ambition so far and assured the press of a more robust relationship in the years to come while advising that Journalists should at all times stick to their constitutional role of watchdogs of the society.”

Reacting to the press release, the publisher of Delta Voice, John Oghojafor, fired back, alleging threat to his life by Mrs. Majemite.

He said in a press statement that; “By way of introduction, I am Oghojafor John Emomine. Am the Publisher of DeltaVoice newspaper, the first full coloured local newspaper in Delta State and has been on the newsstand since eleven years ago.  I’m a trained journalist, and have put in nearly twenty years in the profession.  I’m not a reporter but a Publisher and Editor-in-chief of DeltaVoice newspaper.”

“I hail from Kokori, and to be precise I’m from the famous Osurume family of Ekpagha Street in Kokori, Ethiope East Local Government Area. As a journalist of repute and one known by the ‘who is who’ in the state, I have, through my journalism attracted one or two developmental projects to my community. I’m neither a politician nor an aspirant to any political office.

About two weeks ago, my reporter filed in a story of how a political meeting of PDP was held in one Mr. Love Ojakovo’s place in Okpara Inland where it was alleged that one Mrs. Faith Majemite was endorsed as a sole PDP chairmanship candidate for the forthcoming Local Government election in Ethiope East.  The report further added that other aspirants to the chairmanship position on the platform of the PDP were asked to step down for her, adding that the endorsement was from Ibori through Amori to the PDP members of Ethiope East.”

Continuing he said; “After going through the story, I sent an sms to Chief Amori seeking for his reaction, especially considering the fact that, when as a victim of imposition of candidate in the Senatorial Bye-election of 2013, he protested to high heavens crying oppression and injustice.  Chief Amori replied me through an sms in the following sentence: “I greet them all”.  However, Chief Amori forwarded the sms I sent to him to Mrs. Faith Majemite, who on receiving the message went wild with series of threat messages to me, claiming that I and the Honourable member representing Ethiope Federal Constituency in the House of Reps, Hon. Sunny Akpodiogaga-a Emeyese were the people obstructing her chairmanship ambition in Ethiope East.”

“Through several threat text messages from herself and her political thugs, she had never given me a moment of rest since Chief Amori forwarded my text message to her.  It should be noted that my message to Amori did not in any way mean opposition to Mrs. Majemite’s chairmanship ambition.  It was only meant for Amori to confirm the report with us that the endorsement of Mrs. Majemite was from Ibori and himself.  But from the third to the last paragraph of her press release, you can deduce that the imposition of Mrs. Faith Majemite was indeed from Chief Amori in Ethiope West.  It reads thus: The said letter has since been relegated to the “bust-bin” of irrelevance as Chief Ighoyota Amore also endorsed her at the weekend,” he noted.

He added; “As if she was not satisfied with her threat text messages, she embarked on the physical attack on my person on Friday at Government House, Asaba shortly after the press conference organized by His Excellency.  She accused me and Hon. Emeyese of obstructing her political ambition which she claimed has received 99% endorsement of the people of Ethiope East.  She even went further to accuse me of writing against the Ovie of Agbon kingdom, HRH Ogurimerime Ukori I, adding that I have been destroying Kokori community with my publications.  She said she doubted if I am from Kokori.  At that point I retorted by asking her if she is actually from Kokori.  She however promised to visit my house with her thugs to deal with me that I have come to the end of the road.  And on the strength of the threat I incidented a report in ‘A’ Division of the Nigeria Police. Asaba and as at today she has refused to honour the invitation extended to her to the station.”

“Late in the evening of Friday last week, I sent a text to Mrs. Majemite’s husband, Chief Barr. Fred Majemite to intimate him with the threat from his wife on me.  He said he was away in the US and that I should stay action on the police till he comes next week Tuesday.  He however promised to advice his wife to withdraw her threat but in spite of his intervention, Mrs. Majemite has kept up the tempo of threat and blackmail on me.  In the past three days, I have received more than ten calls from some of her political thugs warning me to steer clear of Kokori.  You can verify this from paragraph 6 of her press release which reads thus: “That Mr. Ogojafor has issues to iron-out with the progressives in Kokori community and the teaming supporters of Mrs. Majemite, for pitching tent with those failed politicians who have consistently obstructed development and the socio-economic well being of the good people of Kokori in particular and Ethiope East in general.”

“Referring to all the accusations enumerated in her press release, I can say with all my integrity intact, that I was not involved in any of them.  I am not a politician, am not a PDP member nor any other political party member and am not a chairmanship aspirant nor a Councillorship aspirant in the forthcoming Local Government election.  I have not written a letter to the Governor on behalf of any person in Ethiope East.  The press can verify this from those handling His Excellency’s mails or His Excellency himself.  I do not know nor have come across any political pressure group by the name CONCERNED POLITICIANS OF CONSCIENCE IN ETHIOPE EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA.”

“I have decided to wait for the husband, Chief Barr. Fred Majemite, who has offered to intervene when he returns.  But before then, I only have a short message for Mrs. Majemite and that is: If she is genuinely pursuing the chairmanship of Ethiope East, she should do just that.  On the other hand, if she is pursuing Oghojafor John as her imaginary enemy, then it is very obvious she might lose from both ends.

“To my dear colleagues in the media, the issue between me and Mrs. Majemite as at the moment bothers on threat to life.  The police is already on it and it is not a hidden matter.  Therefore anyone who can make news out of it is free to go on,” he said.