Following the publication of a few details contained in two separate phone conversations obtained by www.crossriverwatch.com and www.calitown.com from Cross River State governorship aspirant Goddy Jedy Agba and Ben Ayade, the PDP governorship flagbearer in Cross River State, there has been a deluge of rebuttals, vituperations and accusations from both the Media Consultant to Jedy Agba and some supporters accusing CrossRiverWatch in particular and other sister platforms of spreading falsehood. The consultant, Mr. Phrank Shuaibu even claimed that such discussions did not take place.
Though we have drawn the attention of the two principal actors in the matter to the rebuttals and denials and they have urged us to rather remain silent, we are however constrained to put the matters clear for our teeming readers without necessarily making public the whole content of what was not a public discussion.
We maintain that on the 9th of September 2014, there was a phone conversation between Ben Ayade and the Publisher of crossriverwatch.com, Agba Jalingo where the Senator expressed his gratitude to Goddy Jedy Agba for demonstrating what Prof. Ayade described as exemplary brotherhood.
He said, he and Jedy Agba had already spoken and Agba had congratulated him and assured him that he will work with him. He said he was proud of Goddy Agba’s show of love and solicited that the information be passed across to Cross Riverians through our reapective media.
We assured him that once we are able to confirm the information from Prince Jedy Agba, as it is expected of us to balance our story, we shall be happy to inform Cross Riverians of the development. Ayade’s call started at exactly 10:33am and lasted for 3minutes, 56 seconds.
A call was then put through to Jedy Agba by Jalimgo at exactly 10:43am. In the 1 minute, 41 seconds conversation that followed, Jedy Agba confirmed that he had a discussion with Ayade and that he had congratulated him and promised him he will not fight him.
When Jedy Agba was specifically informed him that Ayade wanted the story published and asked him if he also wanted it published, he answered in Bette language thus: “Yes, shi ushob ugiang, shie ngbeb ngbeb!” meaning… (Yes, do the story, do it very well!”)
It was on the strength of this confirmation crossriverwatch.com and calitown.com proceeded to publish the information, convinced that the two actors had spoken and wanted their thoughts known to the public.
This discussions took place in the presence of the Publisher of www.calitown.com, www.yakurrreporters.com and CrossRiverWatch correspondent Jeremiah Archibong who were all together for a brief meeting at a hotel in Ekorinim, Calabar and details of the conversations are all available with us on audio record.
While we maintain that we will neither join issues with anyone nor be provoked to put in public, all the details of what was not supposed to be a public discussion, we are certain however that neither Senator Ayade nor Prince Jedy Agba can deny that they spoke with us on the subject matter. IF THEY DO, WE WILL PROVE THEM WRONG.
We want to once again assure Cross Riverians and our teeming readers that while we, like all enterprises in life, are susceptible to mistakes, we will never deliberately set out to misinform or mislead the public particularly on a sensitive matter like the one in question.
We will continue to carefully follow our political leaders, read their lips and try our best at all times to publish our findings the way we receive them without fear or favor. Anytime we make mistakes, like we have done in the past and will still do in the future, we will not hesitate to render apologies and do everything that is legally permissible to remedy our errors.
But in this particular case, we were right and WE STAND BY OUR STORY !
