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Lara Owoeye-Wise Replies Critics ” I Do Not Possess What It Takes To Be Treacherous”

Published

5 years ago

June 25, 2019

Editor

Lara Owoeye-Wise who was recently appointed by Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as his Senior Special Assistant on Electronic and New Media has received torrents of bashing from critics who have questioned her loyalty and capability to to take up the appointment.

Though many friends rose to her defence, noting that she was a thoroughbred professional and fair-minded analysts, she has decided to personally put the matter to rest with a riposte. Here is the full statement

SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT.

In public communication, response to an orchestrated attack especially from social media should ideally be measured, self restraining and driven by purpose.

As I am not habitually one to jump into frays in this case as a panicky rebuttal to a coordinated social media attack on my person and character, my purpose here would be to sacrifice my preference for silence in order to get up and pull away the esteemed personality and exalted office of the Deputy President of the Senate, Rt. Hon. Ovie Omo-Agege, whom I have tremendous respect for and whose personality and office are naturally caught up in the middle of the unforced rumpus generated by my appointment. While i do not mind to take the hit, I would not want the Distinguished Deputy Senate President to bear any stain by association.

While i won’t claim to be a Politician as yet, I have nonetheless, put in over 25 years cognate experience as a Media Professional in Print and Electronic Journalism practice.
Indulging in self-praise would amount to vainglory and self-conceit, I would however risk to assume that my aforementioned professional track-record earned me the privilege of being hired to work with the immediate past Deputy Speaker of the 8th Assembly, Rt. Hon Lasun Yusuff of the APC until the 7th of June when the 8th Assembly wound down.

This is a pointer in one unequivocal direction, which is a combined loyal service to nation-building in both the Media and public service.

The searchlight for service I would also submit, came my way as a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria whose rights include freedom of expression in as much as it falls within the confines of civilized endeavors, lawful boundaries, sublime compliance, professionalism and the stimulation of intellectual engagement. These I carried out with the use of satires and literary imageries: expressions which were neither demeaning of our great country nor of her leadership. These are posts i hold dear and desire to have endure. It is therefore unimaginable if not laughable, that i would in panicky and dishonest move, “delete my posts, numbering up to 11,000”! One, if I had up to 11,000 posts, that must mean I had spent the past years doing nothing but indulging in endless postsings. How would i have had such luxury of time within the pressure we work under daily, managing my Principal on one hand, fulfilling my role as a family woman on the other, and giving myself to other upbuilding social services to better my environment and world? One more thought…If i had deleted 11,000 posts within the few days of my appointment, how were my traducers able to send mugshots of same deleted posts around and about? I have not deleted neither have I edited even one of my old posts on social media since my appointment. Please crosscheck.

As unfortunate as this incident is, the umbrage against my appointment is an unfortunate showcase of sobering reality to well meaning Nigerians that there is so much we need to do on civic engagement as the future of Nigeria rests on the quality of our followership which will produce future leaders. I bear this stark reality in mind as I daily attempt to mentor the younger generation through my social media posts and my character.

I shall resist the urge to join issues on the salacious insinuation of any working/ intimate relationship between Senator Dino Melaye and I. While there is no iota of truth in this, dissipating energy on it equates to according undue attention to sheer indiscretion from a group of people who probably still have a lot to learn from the tenets of honour, graciousness, dignity, depth of perspectives and uncommon ability to respect the sensibility of others, especially our fellow citizens. Germane issues must always rise above laughable conjectures and must never be made to suffer preposterous dimensions or such cluelessness emanating from myopic inclinations.

By the way, Dino Melaye represents my Senatorial district. The few interactions I have had with him were usually at public events, occasions where i muster enough honour to expand frontiers for my Principal and engage in robust political cross fertilization of ideas. Should i have worked for Senator Melaye in his political ambitions or even his party, I would have demonstrated some measure of honour to own up to it and actually turn down this appointment as I do not posses what it takes to be treacherous.

May I use this opportunity to express profound gratitude to the Deputy Senate President for considering me worthy to render my professional services to support his office for the betterment of Nigeria and her people.

May I also observe that in my capacity as Electronic and Social Media Adviser, the event of yesterday has opened a sobering perspective that a lot of gap is open to be filled in not just shaping the right narratives on social media but doing so with an impressive demonstration of mental aptitude and pure intellect.

To those who rose up in stout defence of my person, while i do express my appreciation to you all for such display of decorum, I dare say, please “don’t go yet”, as we have a lot to do together in showcasing to the outside world, that as a nation with a teeming youth population, we can do better than continued indulgence in pull-down mentalities as self appointed judges from self-induced cages and prisms.

Thank you.

Lara Owoeye-Wise

Headline

Breaking: Wike Plans to Attend Thursday’s PDP NEC Meeting

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, may have concluded plans to attend the much advertised National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), billed to hold on Thursday, in Abuja.

Impeccable source, who is in the know, told The Boss that the minister, whose membership of the PDP is yet to be revoked even as he frolicks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and serving in the President Bola Tinubu government as a minister.

The Source told The Boss that Wike’s impending presence at the NECeeting on Thursday is not unconnected with plans, already hatched with some governors, to weaken the opposition PDP.

“Yes, we have on good authority that FCT minister, Wike is planning to attend the NEC meeting tomorrow all in a bid to weaken the fabrics of the PDP, and pave the way for the continuation of the Tinubu administration come 2027, and by extension, relapse Nigeria to a full blown one party state.

“From every indication, Wike and his co-travellers, are bent on unleashing the same crisis ravaging the third force, Labour Party, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Nigerian National People’s Party (NNPP) on the PDP for the APC to remain the only political party in the country, and ensure that Tinubu has no challenger, come 2027,” the Source said.

It would be recalled that Wike has boasted over and again that there’s no opposition against Tinubu’s re-emergence in 2027, and that they have made sure of that. He has been compensated with the Ministerial job after he withdrew support for his party, and supported the APC and Tinubu to emerge as national government.

The Source further revealed that in the attempt to actualize the intended one party state, a lot of funding is ongoing to ensure that concerned stakeholders are ‘settled’ handsomely.

Wike, prior, during and after the 2023 general elections, has been floating in between the two major political parties; the APC and the PDP. While he claim to still be a member of the PDP, he is functioning as a minister in an APC government, mocking the inability of his party to discipline him.

Political stakeholders have concluded that the outcome of Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting will determine the path Nigeria’s political trajectory will take, and that it may portend the end of multi-party system and political democracy if Wike succeeds in his plan.

Headline

Bribery, Corruption: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

Published

4 days ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The All Progressives Congress ward in Ganduje, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The party ward legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, announced the suspension while addressing newsmen in Kano State on Monday.

Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje levelled by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the APC National Chairman, Mr Edwin Olufo, failed as his mobile phone was unreachable.

Headline

Akpabio Commits to Collaboration with Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno

Published

1 week ago

April 12, 2024

Admin

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated his commitment to working closely with Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Umo Eno to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio stated this in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, while briefing his constituents on the journey so far as their representative in the red chamber.

He assured the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of his commitment to their welfare in appreciation of their total support for him, President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in last year’s election.

The Highpoint of the constituency briefing was the distribution of over 10,000 bags of rice and other essentials for his constituents from the wards, to the local governments.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying, “I am here once again, to thank you for standing by me, our President and the party, before, during and even after last year’s elections. I have come to say thank you and also bring Renewed Hope to you all.

“As the President is doing his own, the Senate President is also doing his bit and being complemented by the state governor, Akwa Ibom would be the better for it. We have finished elections and politics, we are now into governance. The governor of the state must touch you, because he is the governor of all the people in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

” As I am touching you now from the political angle, I will also touch the state without any political party affiliation. Most of the projects we are putting in place would be used by people resident in the state. Relax, things are getting better.”

The former Governor of the state, assured his constituents that his current position as the Senate President would be used for the development of the state in collaboration with the President and the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Hear him: This Senate President is not the one that would be fighting the state government. I will collaborate with , I will collaborate with , to make the state better for us all. We cannot be out of government for a long time. You have to go to a government that carries you along”

Akpabio promised to work for his constituents and Nigeria with all his strength, noting that, “as the President of the Senate, I am for the Southern region and the entire country. I may not come here regularly to tell you what I have been doing for you, but you will be feeling the impact on way or the other. Our unemployed youths would be gainfully employed. I will construct a mini stadium in all the local governments in the district, for our youths to develop their sporting potentials. ”