Ortom Not Involved in Suswam’s Arrest, Detention
Our attention was drawn to a report in an online publication penned by Denen Achussah, who fell short of professional expectations by interjecting his personal opinion, falsely claiming that former Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom, had submitted petitions against his predecessor, Gabriel Suswam, resulting in his arrest and detention by the DSS in 2017.
It is imperative that we address the egregious breach of journalistic ethics perpetrated by the newspaper editor, which has implications for Chief Ortom. By inserting a personal opinion into the concluding paragraph of the story, the editor has compromised the report’s credibility and revealed a pronounced bias that contravenes essential journalistic standards.
In the mentioned paragraph, the writer states that Governor Ortom’s “government, in addition to probing his predecessor, Dr. Gabriel Suswam, wrote petitions that led to Dr. Suswam spending months in detention facilities and making several visits to antigraft agencies”. Here, he crosses the line from objective reporting into subjective commentary, which is unprofessional, misleading, and suggests a one-sided narrative lacking necessary context and balance.
Journalistic standards emphasize the importance of impartiality, requiring reporters and editors to present facts without allowing personal biases or opinions to colour their reporting. The editor of the said online publication failed to adhere to these essential principles by injecting personal views into his report, which compromised the integrity of his publication and misled his readers.
To correct any misconceptions, Governor Ortom was not responsible for Senator Suswam’s arrest and detention by the DSS. Upon Suswam’s apprehension, the DSS reported finding sophisticated weapons in his possession. The arrest was a result of an operation conducted at Suswam’s home in Maitama, Abuja, and at Dunes Investment and Global Properties, also in Maitama (see Daily Trust and This Day newspapers of February 17, 2017). The operation was not initiated by a petition from Governor Ortom or any of his appointees.
It is equally important to clarify that the money laundering matter involving N3.1 billion instituted against Senator Suswam by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC commenced before Chief Ortom became Governor in 2015. The anti-corruption commission made it clear that it had received the petition to investigate the missing funds while Suswam was still the Governor. It is therefore the height of mischief and malice for anyone to accuse Chief Ortom of being behind the trial of Suswam.
On the issue of probe, it is true that Governor Ortom set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the financial transactions of the Suswam administration, but several key stakeholders including the Tiv Traditional Council, TTC intervened and appealed that the white paper on the investigation be suspended. The State Government respected the intervention of TTC and halted further actions in relation to the probe.
The online publication ought to have accessed these records and facts before doing its report.
Lastly, we wish to advise owners of news organizations to endeavour to prioritize the hiring of qualified and trained journalists who understand and respect the ethical standards of the profession. Employing quacks as editors and reporters who indulge in politically motivated news content, as evidenced by Achussah’s piece, damages the reputation of the journalism profession.
The path to ensuring credibility lies in adherence to the principles of neutrality, truth and fairness.
Terver Akase
For H.E Ortom
January 13, 2025.
