YENAGOA – The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo has given one Aluzu Augustine Ebikebuna seven days ultimatum to retract a defamatory publication against him or face a legal action.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo also wants Aluzu to tender an unreserved apology as failure to do so would leave him (Deputy Governor) with no option than to seek redress in a court of competent jurisdiction.
This is contained in a notice his lawyer, Clement B. Kekemeke Esq. of the SERENE SOLICITORS & ADVOCATES, served on Aluzu electronically via ebikebuna@gmail.com on Tuesday 12th May, 2020 in Yenagoa.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Deputy Governor on New/ Social Media, Clement Ovokeroye Paul has it that on the 9th of May, 2020, the said Aluzu published a press release on his Facebook account with the name “EBIKEBUNA AUGUSTINE ALUZU” wherein he linked the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State His Excellency-Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo with the alleged abduction of one “MR. SAINT MIENPAMO” by unknown gun men.
In the said press release, Aluzu indicted the Deputy Governor as follows:
“We believe that the abduction of MR. SAINT is not unconnected to his parallel position with the prosperity Government of Douye Diri on issues bothering on public importance in the state noting that this abduction came barely hours after he published that the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State has been served with a subpoena to appear before the Bayelsa State Governorship Election petition Tribunal.”
The statement reads:
“In a separate release Aluzu claimed that the said MR. SAINT MIENPAMO was detained in Bayelsa State Government House, Yenagoa; a falsehood he backed up with Coordinates of an uncertain geographic location as facts.
“However, Mr. Saint Mienpamo had on Tuesday 12th May, 2020 punctured Aluzu and his army of propagandists claims that he was adducted and detained in Bayelsa State Government House, Yenagoa, disclosing that he was only arrested by personnel of the Department of State Security (DSS), for publishing falsehood against the Governor of Kogi State, Yahyah Bello.
“While the Deputy Governor is innocent of the allegation contained in his press release, the above quoted innuendoes suggest that he is responsible for the abduction of the said MR. SAINT MIENPAMO. It is pertinent to state that linking the Deputy Governor who is a legal practitioner of repute, a former Commissioner for Works in Bayelsa State, former Senator, Federal Republic of Nigeria and the incumbent Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State to the abduction of MR. SAINT MIENPAMO has reduced his social standing in the eyes of reasonable men.
“The Deputy Governor has noted Aluzu’s unbridled activities of recent on the various social media platforms consistently peddling falsehood against him as well denigrating his person for no just cause.
“It is in his interest to desist from and or halt his insatiable thirst for dragging the name of the Deputy Governor in the mud over a matter in which he has filed a petition in his capacity as a legal practitioner on behalf of the petitioner in EPT/BY/GOV/O2/2020-VIJAH ELDRED OPUAMA V. INEC & 3 ORS. The Deputy Governor assumes that by virtue of Aluzu’s training, he ought to know the consequences of consistently publishing a matter that is sub judice, particularly bearing in mind the fact that he is one of the petitioner’s counsel in the matter.
“Aluzu Augustine Ebikebuna, upon receipt of the enclosed letter has Seven (7) days to immediately retract the publication in question by publishing same on his Facebook account on which he published the defamatory press release, already seen by over one thousand persons at the time of filing this report, IN HIS OWN INTEREST.”
SEE LETTER BELOW
