Commentary:
In African mythology, masquerades are regarded as sacred, revered ancestors or their spirits from the underworld. It’s therefore a taboo, a high noon desecration for anyone to unmask a masquerade thus revealing the face behind it.
But then how does one characterize a situation whereby a masquerade suddenly appears on a busy market square, brazenly unmasked itself, and starts dancing naked in the full glare of onlookers to the tunes of an unseen drummer for pecuniary reasons?
Perhaps only a masquerade possessed by the spirit of mischief and avarice can do that!
The above scenario best describes the “BRIBE” Sorry, Beagle News and its recent malicious editorial on the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation(suspended), Dr. Betta Edu.
Isn’t God working in mysterious ways? In the wake of the alleged attempted fraud in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation which necessitated Dr. Edu’s suspension to enable anti-graft agencies to investigate the matter, social media platforms have been awash with sponsored febrile and malicious stories about the Minister.
Online platforms, ostensibly bought over by the same elements that swore from day one to undermine Dr. Edu as Minister, have been dishing out gibberish against her, all in an attempt to defame her and assassinate her character.
They have manufactured all manner of laughable, non-existent, ridiculous, and insipid content in the name of fraud allegations against her geared towards swaying the anti-graft agencies and influencing them in their investigations and final reports.
And the masquerade behind the atrocious lies has decided to unmask and reveal itself openly in the market square, shame!
The gaping holes, half-truths, and outright lies that are the dominant features of the Beagle News so-called editorial have exposed the Jejune online medium and its amorphous and armed-chair editorial team as complicit in the ceaseless social media battering of Dr. Edu.
The audacity of assembling a barrage of lies and passing off the same as an “editorial” is an offense on its own and leaves no one in doubt as to how neck-deep Beagle News is in the coordination and execution of the orchestrated anti-Betta Edu agenda.
This has confirmed the popular African adage that says “If the death inside the house doesn’t kill a person, the outside one cannot.” The Beagle Newspaper has shown itself as one of those dishing out false and malicious information about Dr Betta Edu.
By unmasking itself with the banal editorial, it’s obvious that the online medium has been clandestinely aiding and abetting the social media attacks on Edu as dictated by its sponsors.
For one, the gibberish on Edu in the said editorial is nothing but a regurgitation of all the manufactured lies and gossip against her already peddled by other sponsored online platforms.
The records of Dr. Edu’s stewardship from being the Special Adviser, Director-General of Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, CRSPHDA, Commissioner for Health, Chairman of Forum of Health Commissioners In Nigeria, APC National Women Leader, and now Minister open for scrutiny.
It is not enough for Beagle News to rehash a bland insinuation of a misdemeanor, one expects it, as a baby media organization struggling for recognition and interested in exposing alleged corrupt tendencies of a public office holder, to specifically mention instances Dr. Edu was tried, convicted, and jailed for financial misappropriation or unethical behavior as CRSPHCA DG and as Commissioner for Health.
Beagle should also do the general public a favor by reproducing an official press statement or newspaper publication where the Cross River State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA stripped Dr. Edu of her medical license for unethical behavior.
It is also bewildering that though the EFCC is yet to conclude its investigations, Beagle News has already passed a verdict of financial misappropriation on Edu as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, another shame!
Why is Beagle News in a hurry to crucify Edu even before the conclusion of EFCC’s investigation if not to impress its sponsors and paymasters?
It is on record that Dr. Edu’s vigilance, patriotism, and integrity prevented this country from losing N44 Billion to private pockets. It is therefore bizarre that in its warped judgment, Beagle gleefully passed this off as “misappropriation”!
The so-called “editorial” is not only in bad taste, and unhealthy, but a failed attempt to whip up negative public sentiments against Edu.
No amount of sponsored or manufactured lies will dwarf or dispirit the suspended Minister for only the guilty fear retribution.
Finally, Beagle News and other cash and carry online media outfits as they should, please allow the EFCC and other investigating agencies to do their jobs.
E-Signed
Media Team
