Determined to get justice over what she called a false, malicious and defamatory publication against her person, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Bala Usman has instituted a legal action against Prince Henry Nwazuruahu Shield at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The action which came on the heels of a publication by Nwazuruahu Shield on an online platform tripcentralnigeria.com with the caption: “How El-Rufai and Hadiza Usman bribed APC Chieftains with $25,000 each to make him Vice President”, has since been refuted by Usman in a press release earlier issued by her personally.
The NPA boss who in a press release issued in Lagos Friday described the new media and the digital space as having brought prosperity to humanity however believed that it had also brought along with it unhinged speed in the dissemination of lies and grief.
She added that while she believed that the new media had inherent capacity to fact check and unmask fallacies peddled by unconscionable people, it did not have the capacity to undo the damages and hurt inflicted on victims adding that only the Judiciary could mitigate and right that through its judgments when approached by helpless victims.
According to her,” As individuals, we are complicit if we sit, watch and allow any form of degeneracy that rewards blackmailers, extortionists, character assassins, fake news entrepreneurs and other various turpitudes of the modern society to gain unchecked foothold over our lives and derail our democracy.
“On 22nd March, 2017 an online media platform tripcentralnigeria.com published a false malicious defamatory publication against my person captioned, “How El-Rufai and Hadiza Usman bribed APC Chieftains with $25,000 each to make him Vice President”.
“The story is false and a total fabrication geared towards tarnishing my hard earned reputation. I have today filed a suit at Federal High Court Abuja seeking for justice against these perpetrators of falsehood. Justice is what I seek through my action in court today.
“I have overlooked many spurious claims against my person in the media in the past. I have been diligent and circumspect in my public life dealings. I have laboured to show integrity, transparency and accountability in all my ventures. I will not do differently in my present position as Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA). And, I will not bow to blackmail either.
“The Media must be discouraged from running banner headlines with unverifiable information. I stand here today as a victim of this unconscionable practice. Victims must no longer keep quiet. Let us redefine our values and take our society back from these charlatans”.
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