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Okey Sampson, Umuahia and Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
Ebonyi Governor, David Umahi has asked journalists to partner with his government.
Speaking in a live broadcast in Abakaliki, yesterday, Governor Umahi described an earlier misunderstanding with The Sun and Vanguard newspapers as unfortunate.
He urged journalists to always report with facts while bearing in mind the peculiarities of the state.
He said: ‘’I have directed that The Sun and The Vanguard reporters be invited to join us. The unfortunate incident with the press was not intentional, but I am asking everybody to disregard what has happened, because we are all partners in progress and let us work together. But I will advise that you please cross check your information before publication.
“There are certain write-ups that people are not happy about. But I have said please let everybody down tools in love and work together. I specifically asked that The Sun and Vanguard reporters be invited because as a father when you beat a child with one hand, you bring the child back with another hand. I believe strongly that if anybody wants to intentionally bring you down he can’t pull you down standing, he will certainly go down with you. And you may even rise above him.
“The single way to be happy in life is to be happy with success. I want to invite the press for partnership and also ask them to also please help us build the state.”
Meanwhile, Abia State is to sentence persons who breach the COVID-19 lockdown order to community services or fines to be determined at mobile courts established by the state government recently.
Chief Judge of the state, Onuoha Ogwe, disclosed this in Umuahia, yesterday, when he inaugurated the COVID-19 mobile courts that would try suspects caught flouting government’s directives on the lockdown of the state.
Justice Ogwe said the courts which would be sited in the three senatorial zones were not new courts, but special because they were meant to handle cases from persons who violate the directives put in place to check the spread of Coronavirus.
He told the magistrates heading the mobile courts that the focus should be on non-custodian sentences, adding that the courts should only concentrate on those who breached the state’s COVID-19 law.
Justice Ogwe implored the Magistrates to be sensitive and patriotic as well as keep an eye on their supportive staff to ensure that they do not bring corruption into the administration of the mobile courts.
The chief judge who reminded the Magistrates that they were chosen because of their credibility also directed them to ensure that all revenues realised during their sittings were paid into the state government’s treasury.
