DAFINONE MAY GO TO COURT OVER LIBELOUS PUBLICATION

Second Republic Senator, Chief David Dafinone at the weekend, condemned the alleged beating of his workers and destruction of properties at Ogegere in Delta State, by miscreants claiming to be youth leaders.

He also condemned, what he called, the violent method of extorting money from individuals and organizations by youths in the region.

Their action, according to Dafinone, represents a horrible blemish to the image of the youths who hitherto were focused on liberating the Niger Delta Region from abject poverty and deprivation in the midst of plenty.

He said “A group of miscreants’ carryings small arms, ranging from machete, cutlasses, pistols and short guns invaded a rubber plantation belonging to CEDDI Corporation, shooting some of the workers and forcing security officials to face the concern of escaping with life.”

The renowned accountant also condemned a story in the Vanguard newspapers, with the headline “Police Shoot Two Sapele Villages” as a desperate attempt to smear his integrity.

In a letter to the Editor, Vanguard Media Limited signed by his Solicitors, E. O. Okirikpo & Co, Dafinone said he was defamed by a story written by one Festus Ahon, particularly the portion to the effect “that his company has not paid his laborers for about three months.

This publication, he said, has attracted series of enquiries as to his inability to pay his laborers.

“The imputation of the said publication is that our client is indebted to his staff or laborers for the period of three months and this has lowered the esteemed status of our client in the society.”

“The story as published by your correspondent is distorted and highly malicious against the person of our client who is the only Second Republic Senator that has a Rubber industry with a factory in Amukpe, in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State. From all available record, it is clear that our client had paid all staff and laborers employed by his company without owing a kobo to any of them, in his factory or those felling trees in the land leased to his company at Ogegere Village. Also our client has paid the full compensation in respect of the crops, economic trees and fish ponds in the parcel of land leased to him by Ogegere community leaders and families.

“The allegation that some laborers have not been paid foe about three months is a fiction to a new level of absurdity. Senator Dafinone does not owe any one Kobo as salary or cost of labor. As a matter of fact, salaries of workers are paid before 24 th of every month”.

“We declare that the said story is false, baseless, unfounded and a deliberate fabrication by your correspondent and his sponsors to cause disaffection in Okpe Kingdom and erode the confidence and trust of Nigerians and Foreigners in the person of Senator Dafinone.

“In the circumstances therefore, we on behalf of our client take exception to the entire said libelous publication and hereby demand unqualified apology from Vanguard Newspapers and retraction of same with equal prominent attention.

Refusal to apologize and retract the story, Dafinone said would result in necessary legal action.