In a reaction to the recent report carried by Arise TV which suggested that a Plateau State High Court had ordered that the suspended Local Government Executives in Plateau had been reinstated, the Government of Plateau State has called on the management of Arise TV to withdraw a report the government described as misleading, calling on the management of the TV station to further investigate the reporter who filed in the report.
In a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State, Gyang Bere, the government noted that it had “…watched with utter dismay and disappointment, a misleading video trending on social media platforms, which emanated from Arise News, a credible TV station in Nigeria. The misleading media content reported by an unprofessional reporter claimed that Plateau State High Court on Friday ruled that the former Executive Chairmen of the 17 Local Government Areas should remain in office and ordered that the status quo be maintained”.
The government said that the report was “…coming from an untrained reporter who lacks the basic journalistic skills to report Court matters”, adding that “Ordinarily, this report is not worth the reaction of the people’s centered government…”
The statement noted that it became necessary to put forward a statement in order “…to correct the erroneous impression in the minds of the public and present the Court proceedings as they were.
The government decided to presented the following facts:
“1. Plateau State High Court on Friday 23rd of June, 2023 sat over the Suit No. PLD/J257M/2023 between Hon. Miskoom Alexander Naantuam, former Chairman, Shendam Local Government Council, and 23 others versus the Governor, Plateau State and Attorney General of Plateau State.”
“2. There was no pronouncement by the presiding Judge that the former Local Government Chairmen in Plateau State should remain in office and that the status quo should be maintained.”
“3. The matter in contention is not an Appeal and the presiding judge did not deliver judgment on the matter as it was reported by the Arise News.”
“4. There was no pronouncement from the presiding Judge that restrained the Executive Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang from sacking the former Chairmen of the 17 Local Government Areas on the allegation of financial embezzlement.”
“5. The matter was not adjourned to 18th September, 2023 as stated by Arise News, rather 22nd September, 2023 for all pending applications and substantive Originating Summons to be taken to enable the court to deliver a composite Ruling.”
“6. The reporter in question failed to interrogate the two lead counsels involved in the matter for clarity but opted to interview and framed the story from the point of view of his alleged paymaster, Alexander Naantuam, former Chairman, Shendam Local Government Council, simply for the purpose of misleading the public.”
The statement further posited that “The former Chairmen were suspended from office based on the advice of the 9th Plateau State House of Assembly, whose majority were members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for their inability to provide financial expenditure of the 17 Local Government Councils.”
The statement concluded that is was “…evident that the reporter was not in court during the said court proceeding.”.
The government consequently demanded that the Management of Arise News should retract the inciting news story and investigate the activities of the reporter who misled the station on the said matter.
The statement advised members of the public “…to disregard the misleading news story from Arise News as the Transition Committee Chairmen appointed by the Executive Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang are fully in charge of the affairs of the 17 Local Government Councils.”.
Nigeria Star News 