Date Published: 06/06/11

Oni warns Ekiti TV, Radio Stations, Others over Campaign of Calumny

Former Governor of Ekiti State has warned the state owned radio, television stations and other broadcast media over alleged plan by the State government to sponsor offensive radio and television jingles against him in the broadcast stations, saying; “The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) hammer will be made to fall on any broadcast medium that is used to deliberately malign my person.”

In a statement issued by his Media Aide, Wale Ojo-Lanre, the former governor accused the Governor Kayode Fayemi-led Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government in the State of producing a jingle, portraying him as a thief, who defrauded the State of billions of naira through award of contracts.

Ojo-Lanre said it was laughable that “instead of making public the purported White paper in which Oni was indicted as requested, Fayemi could commission a high-wired campaign of calumny against his person and those who worked with him when he was governor.”

“We are compelled to call the attention of the managements of the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES), Adaba FM, Akure and other broadcast stations in the country to the impending broadcast of a radio and television jingles, portraying Chief Oni as a fraudulent person.

“Yesterday, June 3, 2011, the jingle was previewed in the office of the Special Adviser to Fayemi on Media, Mr. Mojeed Jamiu and as at today, finishing touches are being put to the jingles.

“While we understand the dilemma of Fayemi and his men, having been unable to execute a single project since they bought their ways into power, we are however appalled by the level to which the quest to cover-up their failure has driven them to.

“It is therefore necessary that we, for record purpose warn broadcast media, especially the BSES and Adaba FM to be ready to face the law should they continue to allow their stations to be used for Fayemi’s campaign of calumny against the person of Oni.

“It is also important to note that we are aware of the numerous times the BSES had been sanctioned by the NBC and Fayemi’s government’s position that it would continue to flout the NBC rules not minding its sanctions.

“However, management of BSES in particular should know that it owes Ekiti people the sacred duty to protect the stations from being banned by the NBC and they must adhere strictly to the NBC regulations,” Ojo-Lanre said.

While reiterating Oni’s call for the publication of the white paper, indicting him of defrauding the State of N5.4 billion, Ojo-Lanre said; “What we are simply asking Fayemi to do is to make the white paper public. But instead of doing this, he is wasting Ekiti peoples’ money on campaign of calumny against Oni, forgetting that our people are no fools.”