By National Record
THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL (DG) of the Directorate of Diaspora Linkages and Investments, Prof. Abraham Tartenger Girgih, has issued a strongly worded rejoinder, threatening the reporter and his medium, National Record, of “dire consequences.”
Prof Girgih also dismissed the reports of alleged redundancy and inactivity of his agency published by National Record.
Governor Hyacinth Alia had appointed Girgih as the Director-General of the newly-created Benue State Directorate For Diaspora Linkages and Investments, according to a press statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.
Firm Denial of Allegations, Threatens ‘Dire Consequences’
Prof Girgih’s rejoinder contained both direct denials and threats against National Record and its State correspondent.
Girgih categorically denied the claims that he had lamented a lack of official engagement, absence of office space, unpaid salaries, and inadequate working tools since his appointment.
Describing the report as “baseless,” he insisted that even if such challenges existed, there were “appropriate and official channels” to address them rather than airing grievances publicly.
Notably, the DG issued a stern threat, when he stated in his rejoinder thus: “I have not granted any interview on this matter, and I also warn that further attempts at rubbishing my name and office will attract dire consequences.”
Lists Achievements
In his rejoinder, Prof. Girgih defended his office’s productivity, listing several ongoing initiatives aimed at engaging the Benue diaspora in development projects.
Girgih claims that the directorate is not only collaborating with the national body overseeing diaspora affairs; it actually held a town hall meeting recently between Benue communities abroad and the state governor, which he described as “fruitful”.
He also claims that through the directorate, an agricultural farm project is currently in the works to attract diaspora investment in agriculture, noting also that there is an ongoing ‘Benue Diaspora Housing Project’, which he said is a real estate initiative being coordinated by the directorate.
He added that there is also the education sector partnerships component, being an effort of the directorate to secure scholarships and exchange programs for Benue students and academics.
Girgih further claimed that these programs prove his office is functional and dismissed the “redundant” label as unfounded, stating: “Any sane person would not tag my office as ‘redundant.’”
Claims Direct Access to Governor
Girgih emphasized that he maintains a direct communication line with GovernorAlia through which he can privately address any challenges.
Taking a swipe at the media, Girgih advised them to “seek and obtain approval in line with global best practice, instead of pandering to rumours.”
No to threats on journalists
Girgih’s warning and threat to National Record and its reporter has raised concerns over his potential intimidation tactics and the possibility of his going ahead to harm the reporter or other personnel of National Record.
A warning of “dire consequences” from a professor, who is not a thug but holds the highest ranking in the academia, is alarming because he knows the full import of the words conveying his threat, and in the context of prevailing insecurity in the country, the threat is taken seriously.
The management of National Record, a staunch advocate of free press and ethical journalism, wishes to therefore use this medium to plead with the Benue State Government, and security agencies to call Prof Girgih to order.
The Benue State Government should not only compel Prof Girgih to publicly withdraw the threat but also apologise to the reporter, his medium and the general public for an act unbecoming of a man of his position and learning.
National Record views Prof Girgih’s threat as not only an attempt to stifle scrutiny but also to gag the publication from carrying out its constitutional mandate of holding government and public officers to account, especially when taxpayer-funded offices are involved.
Girgih’s Heckling of Reporter
In the report by National Record to which Prof. Girgih is responding, while our reporter succeeded in contacting him (Girgih) by phone to respond to speculations and direct information obtained from reliable sources – that his office had not been funded since inception, and as a result, the agency has not been functional – Girgih, rather than respond to the enquiry, took umbrage and heckled the reporter.
While calling the reporter and his medium names, Girgih queried why he was being asked to comment on the matter he claimed was mere rumour.
Asserting that he is not a woman to be grumbling meekly, he went on to not only personally insult – by addressing the reporter as stupid but also his medium, National Record, as a peddler of rumour – to the astonishment of the reporter who was shocked by the academic’s incivility.
Girgih expressed surprise that he was being asked such a question by a “hopeless paper” instead of it thinking of what to do towards the growth and development of Benue State.
Noting that since he didn’t complain to the reporter that his agency was not being funded, the reporter had no business asking him to confirm any rumours of his (Girgih) grumbling.
Even when he was told that the aim of the call was for balance and fairness, Prof Girgih still got more enraged, and intensified his heckling of the reporter and name-calling.
Ethical Reporting
National Record is particularly concerned because the report under reference did not, in line with our tradition of ethical reporting, reflect Prof Girgih’s heckling and insult but only made reference to impeccable sources very close to the DG, including his staff, as could be seen from the quote below:
“Sources close to the DG, especially his staff, recently alleged that he has been lamenting his lack of official engagement, absence of an office or working tools, and non-payment of salary since assuming the position.
“He was also reported to have described the situation as frustrating and unsustainable, suggesting that the Directorate remains inactive due to lack of political and logistical support.
“When National Record contacted Prof. Girgih for his views on the claims, he firmly denied making such statements.
““If I have any issues, I will communicate directly with my principal, the governor. I have not complained to anybody. I’m not a woman, I’m a man. If I want to talk to the governor, I will talk to him directly,” he stated.”
National Record stands by its report, and in line with its independent journalism tradition that has seen it collaborate with reputable investigative journalism institutions like the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and eminent open society actors such as the MacArthur Foundation, recommits itself to the ethics of investigative reporting.
