Elombah’s Irresponsible Journalism: A Call for Caution

JAMES EZE

We read with horror, a story published by Elombah News, an online media undertaker, where it was insinuated that the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, was not conferred with the papal knight Commander of the Order of St Gregory the Great on Wednesday January 15, 2020 as was widely reported. 

In the story, the publisher of the online bulletin, a certain Daniel Elombah, made frantic efforts to convince his readers that  Governor Obiano had a mere audience with the Pope in Rome and that no knighthood was conferred on him.

Ordinarily, we would have ignored Elombah who has become widely known for his unprofessional approach to journalism but there is a grave danger of leaving some unsuspecting readers to assume that Elombah’s voodoo journalism may be right if it is left challenged.

Indeed, it is a sign of pathetic mental illness for anyone to suggest that the Holy Pontiff and the entire College of Cardinals that support him as well as the Local Ordinaries who certified Obiano for the honour, can be so easily deceived or bought over with money by anyone and to insinuate that the Governor of Anambra State can even dream of anything so heinous. This is pure delirium!

The incontrovertible truth is that the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano was duly invested with the honour of the Knight Commander of the Order of St Gregory the Great. Anyone who wishes to validate this assertion can conduct an independent inquiry with the Vatican Authorities.

It must be noted though that over the past six years, Governor Obiano has demonstrated unrivalled capacity to absorb criticism and take the most bizarre attacks in his strides. However, alleging that the governor’s recent Papal Knight investiture is a fraud is the worst form of profanity that can come from an opposition camp funded by a former governor who is also a Papal Knight.

Every man and woman of conscience should condemn Daniel Elombah and the shadowy characters goading him with loads of cash for calling the integrity of the Holy See to question and for casting profanity on the ancient rites and traditions of the Catholic Church.

Elombah and his sponsors should be reminded that there is a line in the sand which no one, no matter how mad, should cross. The Church of Jesus Christ with its age old mores, rites and recognition, is one of them.

– James Eze is Chief Press Secretary to Governor Willie Obiano