By Festus Odiekpe
His name is Mr. Raphael Ede. He is a perpetual freelance journalist in Enugu state. He freelanced for The Sun newspaper for years in Enugu without being employed, because of unethical behavior and poor academic qualifications.
When The Sun newspaper relieved him of the freelance job, he jumped to the Punch Newspaper in Enugu.
This was at a time The Punch Newspaper had out of economic challenges made all their outstation reporters freelancers.
In a desperate move to survive as a freelancer without permanent job or monthly salary in the present economic reality, Ede has been in the habit of blackmailing and fabricating stories, especially against Enugu State government and its officials.
He sells such unsubstantiated stories to Punch and some online media to earn a living.
He is behind the recent fake and paid news story in Sahara Reporters online without any byline, which alleged that Enugu State Government bribed some lawmakers with N5million each to say in a paid newspaper advertorial that there is rotation of governorship seat in Enugu.
He specifically mentioned The Leader of Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Ikechukwu Ezeugwu as being behind the arrangement of the deal. Ede has never seen anything good or reported any positive story about the present government in Enugu State.
His recent syndicated story against Enugu State Government and some House of Assembly members from Enugu North has shown how unethical, hollow, mischievous and compromised he is. What has the House members said about the rotation of the governorship seat in Enugu in the advertorial that the PDP leaders, founding fathers and indigenes have not affirmed and reaffirmed about it.
Even PDP members and leaders from Enugu West Senatorial zone, whom the Senator that is representing them denied the existence of rotation of the governorship seat have also confirmed in a newspaper advertorial that there is rotation of governorship seat in the state.
What else does Ede, his sponsors and paymaster want to hear again about the conventional rotation of governorship seat in Enugu state that has not been said, confirmed and proved beyond reasonable doubt?
Odiekpe, a civil society activist writes from Enugu State.
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