Feeding falsehood to the public.

I was drawn to a publication by one of the soft sell magazines concerning an alleged scandal rocking the Little Saints Orphanage run by Rev. Dele George and was appalled by the content of the gossip magazine. The allegations leveled upon this Good Samaritan who I have admired since she started her ministry of help was damning, annoying and would make any sane person tempted to put a curse or two on some journalists that just run to press with whatever trash they get from whatever source and print.

The story entitled, Little Saints Orphanage in Child Trafficking Scandal published in Vol 2, No 27 of the very unpopular News of the People gossip magazine is professional inadequate, morally condemnable and should be socially rejected while the publishers should be sued to their last kobo in a court of law.

If you are already feeling that I am already biased on the issue given the stories we read on the national dailies concerning the malpractices in some orphanages around the country, then read the opening paragraph of the story that is very pungent with libel authored by one Christain Ozuruigbo;

“It is no longer news that notable Nigerians engage in child trafficking for monetary benefits but when it comes from someone the society least expects to engage in such an act then eyebrows are raised. That is the case of Rev. (Mrs.) Dele George, the proprietress of Little Saints Orphanage Lagos. News of the People can reveal that Mrs. Dele George is alleged to be engaged in child trafficking.”

The report goes on to introduce one Ruth Obianuju who the paper claimed gave them the exclusive insight in to the child trafficking affairs in the orphanage.

What comes to the readers mind on seeing the boldly captioned edition is that of surprise and awe but by the time one goes through the report, it will be discovered that the reporter did nothing to justify the story which was pitched against Rev George without recourse to what the publication will do to the humanitarian job the lady has been providing to abandoned children all over Lagos and it’s environs.

For those that may not have access to the report of which the publishers of magazine failed to upload on their internet but posted the cover of the magazine in their domain, the story tells the account of Miss Obainuju who recalls how she was introduced to Rev George by officials of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and she (George) gave her unrestricted access to the orphanage which enabled her gather that the orphanage was a smokescreen for child trafficking.

The author then fails to give a report on the revelations of the informer but rather starts painting a rather tricky picture of Little Saints Orphanage and its branches at Palm Groove, Ogudu, Abule Egba and Akonwonjo, pointing out that young girls could be seen at the branch at Ogudu which in fact is the branch where young teenage girls are housed. The author cleverly gives a description that would deceive a reader who may be coming in contact with Little saints Orphanage for the fist time into having doubts why the Ogudu branch would have only young girls. The author who it can be deduced knows that such facility exists in Akowonjo for boys does not clarify this point in their thirst to get a sellable headline and smile to the bank. The author draws his conclusion that Rev George is involved in child trafficking from the revelation by Obianuju who offered that when she visited that the girls who are pregnant are paid N8000 after they are conceived for being housed at the centre. She went on to say that she saw a girl saying that she wanted to get out of the home.

The reporter in order to balance his story said that he made efforts to contact Rev. George and she initially declined to respond to the allegations but later called to explain how she met with Miss Okeke.

A question and answer interview with Okeke was published alongside the story to give it more credibility but that interview makes one question the integrity of the magazine and the sanity of the Okeke lady in question.

In the published interview, Okeke explains how she met Rev. George and how she had put up her child for adoption in Port Harcourt and later took him back from the family that adopted her baby and went back to her family only to be rejected.  When asked of the father of her baby, she responds that the father does not own up and beat her up, an action that led her to Women Lawyers Association at Yaba for help. She later went to another welfare office and was given the rejection letter before her landlord evicted her. She explained that she met TREM Bishop’s wife through Rev George and was put there to undergo rehabilitation but was not taught a thing. She said they (the administrators at the rehabilitation centre) had a hidden agenda against her because she has been to T.B Joshua’s church and that she was sent out because she slept naked on a day there was no electricity.

 It would not take a minute for one to detect that this informant is somehow mentally unstable of which she exhibited in the interview but to Christian Ozuruigbo, she was his Deep throat; his informer of high esteem whose testimony could be trusted 100 per cent without further investigation from the other party before such a headline is cast for the world to see.  

In publishing the story, the magazine failed to reveal the activities going on in the orphanage; they never went on investigative journalism, neither did they actually go to Rev George with the allegations properly and knowing the sensitivity involved in drawing such a conclusion the editors of the paper which included Loye Amzat who claims to have been the General Editor of City People,  authorized such unproven, uninvestigated and unconfirmed story to go to press all in the name of getting a cover shows that they need to drop their titles and go back to school.

The story is woven in assumption, deceit and a mindset of crime; yes the publishers I believe may have committed a crime in the Nigerian law system and I hope that they pay dearly for the act. A look at their website www.newsofthepeopleng.com shows the level of disorganization in the so called Docklands Communication Services Ltd, publishers of the infamous so called soft sell; it is bereft of any content safe for the cover of the current edition which is boldly posted there without any link to read the story, an act which is suspect.

For going to press without recourse to the damage(s) such half baked story could bring to what Rev George has been doing for 15 years now, News of the People ought to be closed down and shown the lesson that Free Press does not mean waking up and writing unconfirmed reports from third parties without a balance.

Robot Villager

# 1 The story entitled, Little Saints Orphanage in Child Trafficking Scandal published in Vol 2, No 27 of the very unpopular News of the People gossip magazine is professional inadequate, morally condemnable and should be socially rejected while the publishers should be sued to their last kobo in a court of law....Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 21.11.2008 02:01

emj Villager

# 2 The story entitled, Little Saints Orphanage in Child Trafficking Scandal published in Vol 2, No 27 of the very unpopular News of the People gossip magazine is professional inadequate, morally condemnable and should be socially rejected while the publishers should be sued to their last kobo in a court of law. Thanks Akanu for this piece Rev Mrs George is well known to most people and for this Ragtag outfit to want to destroy what she's done/built is very laughable but also serious....and what do u expect from them anywaz, other than to make a Kill...thinking after all Bad new sells. In publishing the story, the magazine failed to reveal the activities going on in the orphanage; they never went on investigative journalism, neither did they actually go to Rev George with the allegations properly and knowing the sensitivity involved in drawing such a conclusion the editors of the paper which included Loye Amzat who claims to have been the General Editor of City People, authorized such unproven, uninvestigated and unconfirmed story to go to press all in the name of getting a cover shows that they need to drop their titles and go back to school. One of the dangers of doing Humanitarian work....it's very nerve racking at times....but rewarding for those who really have the passion for it...seeing that you are a catalyst to someone living a more fulfilling life than they had hitherto choosen or found themselves in...:eek: Posted by emj| 21.11.2008 19:51