Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Senior Advocate of Nigeria and legal luminary, Chief Mike Ahamba, has called for the exposure of those behind bandits that are wreaking havoc in parts of the country.
Chief Ahamba made the call while formally unveiling Ikengaonline, the media arm of African Centre for Transparency (ACT).
He regretted that no media organisation in the country has been courageous enough to expose the sponsors of banditry and terrorism chocking Nigeria to death.
The senior lawyer commended the publishers of Ikengaonline for the laudable initiative, and charged the online media platform to focus more on investigative journalism if it would command wide readership.
“Ikengaonline is a wonderful initiative. I want them to focus on research on the origin and causes of problems.
“We need media organisations that will be courageous enough to call a spade a spade. We hear people talk about those behind banditry in the North. But till today nobody has mentioned the names of the people behind the monster.”
Chief Ahamba charged Ikengaonline to put pressure on both state and non-state actors and unravel the causes of insecurity in society for the good of all.
“Ikengaonline has taken a spiritual name, so, carry spiritual angle of fearlessness in your work so we can come out of this quagmire and move forward as a people.”
Chief Ahamba regretted that some countries who were trailing Nigeria shortly after her independence, had since overtaken the country due to bad governance.
He charged Ikengaonline to beam its searchlight on leadership in the country and expose the activities of Government.
Ahamba, however, urged the new media platform not to jettison the principles of objectivity and neutrality in pursuing its mandate.
In a goodwill message, Nollywood star and legendary actor, Kanayo. O. Kanayo, thanked the visioners of Ikengaonline, Dr. Osmund Agbo, and Dr. Chido Onumah, for the “great initiative”.
He noted that the South-East is under siege but regretted that the situation in the zone has not been given the needed media attention as “the press has been gagged.”.
“I said it on the video I made on my 60th birthday that the South-East is under siege. There is no activity in the zone on Mondays because of sit-at-home. But it is not being reported because the press is gagged.
“The governors want to impress the President because of their presidential and vice presidential ambitions in 2023.”
Kanayo pledged the support and partnership of the entertainment industry with Ikengaonline.
Ikengaonline, according to the publishers, would have special focus on the South-East geopolitical zone with a view to promoting accountability and transparency.
According to them, the online platform will also help in promoting the ingenuity of the highly enterprising people of the zone for global recognition.
