By Edeki Igafe
Warri (Delta) – A group of women protesters on Thursday decried the negative reports making the rounds in some quarters, accusing an official of the Delta Capital Territory Development Agency of inactivity.
They staged a peaceful protest at the Secretariat of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Warri.
The women said reports that Mrs Juan Mrakpor, Director-General of the agency, was not meeting up with the demands of her office, was a ruse.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the women were armed with placards of various inscriptions to drum support for Mrakpor.
Some of the inscriptions read: ”Mrakpor is working in Asaba and environs; We say no to victimisation; We say no to fake news; Let’s join hands with Mrakpor to clean Asaba and environ.”
Commenting, Mrs Tega Shalokpe, National President, Foundation for Human Rights Advocate, who led the protest, said that Mrakpor had done a lot within the short period she assumed office.
According to her, the director-general among other things, constructed 104 shops that were recently inaugurated in Asaba by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa.
“We want to urge Gov. Okowa to disregard such information concerning the director-general of the Delta Capital Territory Development Agency.
“There are fake news going on in the social media that Mrakpor is not working; we are here to counter those fake news and show our support for her.
“We are saying no to fake news, no to blackmailing and no to scandals.
“We want the state government to ignore whatever anybody had written on social media concerning Mrakpor. They are not true. She is working.
“Mrakpor is working in Asaba; Okowa has inaugurated 104 shops constructed by Mrakpor.
“We will also protest in Asaba, because we want to say no to blackmail,” she said.
Another protester, Mrs Rose Onomavwe who spoke in local parlance said: “Mrakpor na woman wey sabi, she dey do the work wey government give am do”.
When contacted, Mrakpor said that the purported news was not genuine, saying it was planted in “Wrong Box” an online platform.
(NAN)
