Ordinarily, investigated stories pushed to the public for consumption should meet the basic ethics of journalism of living above doubt or a hear say.
In journalism, there is the common saying that it is better to leave out when in doubt rather to impinge on someone’s hard earned integrity.
That is where the authors of the story linking the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Bashir Jamoh, to a fraud of N1.5tr, missed the track.
According to the report another $9,557,312.50 was alleged to have been traced to his personal accounts.
The story went ahead to claim that a company, Talent Expertise International, which the DG allegedly has interest received a mouth watering contract from NIMASA.
But in a disclaimer and the admission of one HAMZA IBRAHIM JAMOH, who incidentally has a name semblance with the DG, has put a lie to the claims of the report.
Not only is the report a hogwash, but also a blackmail plot that went awry.
This calls to question the thoroughness of the so call “investigated report.”
According to Hamza Jamoh, a retired worker with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), a man, claiming to be a reporter, called him, asking if he is the DG of NIMASA, to which he replied in the negative.
He said he told the caller that he is into private business since his retirement from the NNPC but the caller refused, insisting he was the DG and thereafter demanded money from him.
He stated further that the caller said he would go to town with a scoop on him if he refused to part with the said money, to which he told him to do his wish as he has nothing to hide.
However, with a fixated mind that the DG refused to play ball, the online portal, made it an “exclusive”, claiming “to have bursted another corruption scandal in the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration.”
In a reply to the report, Hamza Jamoh said: “This is planned blackmail. There is serious contradictions in your record. Please check the difference between Hamza Ibrahim Jamoh and Bashir Jamoh of NIMASA. I have never seen Bashir in face to face in my life. Please confirm your record. I want to also advise that you should drop this move as you will never succeed.
“Yes, because I retired from NNPC after 35 years of service and joined a training firm Talent Expertise International in Dubai as their representative in Nigeria, so please check your records”, Hamza told the paper.
In a refutal of the totality of the story, the firm based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, said: “To whom it may concern: It has been brought to the attention of the board of directors of Talent Expertise International (TEI) of a fake notification circulating on social media which implicates TEI, along with four other organisations in an alleged fraudulent scam.
“I wish to confirm that Talent Expertise International operating out of Dubai, UAE and Abuja,
“Nigeria has no connection with Dr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, Director General of The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Contrary to the said fake notification, Dr Bashir has never at any time held any position within TEI and he has never had any role in the formation or running of this company.
“I wish also to confirm that at no time in the past has TEI had any formal or informal client/supplier relationship with NIMASA. At no time have we ever provided services to or received payment from NIMASA.
“Talent Expertise International is being represented by Mr. Hamza Ibrahim Jamoh as its local Nigerian Director, a retiree from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation”
The statement, dated May 23, was signed by one John Philp, Chief Executive Officer of the firm.
The question again arises, in a such a staggering corruption claims, was it right for a REPUTABLE (emphasis mine) paper to go ahead and publish, when all the grey areas were not leveled?
Does hatred for an individual or a regime translate to sheer blackmail and bully?
It is only the authors of the alleged corruption story that can answer the questions.
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