FON President Warns Ebonyi Youths Against Cybercrimes
By Alex Odeh, Pan Afric Reporters
The National President of a leading support organisation in Ebonyi State, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru (FON) Support Group, Chinedu Emerike, has urged the teaming Ebonyi youths to maintain peaceful and calm disposition, despite provocation and incitement from the opposition ‘content creators’, reminding them of the Cybercrime Act.
A press statement issued to journalists on Tuesday in Abakaliki and signed by the National President of Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru(FON) Support Group, said that the organization has noted with utmost concern the rate of cyberstalking and harassment transmitted through digital communications channels.
According to him, the FON Group has shown unwavering commitment in combating social crimes, such as cultism,robbery and kidnapping, paving way for the prevailing peace and tranquillity pervading the state,adding that the body will not tolerate any form of cyberstalking.
The statement reads in part, “given that there is right to freedom of speech and expression as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria as amended , there is also a limitation to it. Every citizen has the right to say what is on his or her mind. But it will become intolerable when someone either himself or herself or is commissioned by anyone to spread offensive, menacing or sent messages with the intent to cause annoyance, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, or needless anxiety.
“We have all that have been published and disseminated and still being disseminated by opposition parties’ ‘content creators’, against our principal, the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for discharging his constitutional responsibility as the duly elected governor of Ebonyi State, who is serving his first term in office and must be re-elected by Ebonyi people”, he emphasized.
Emerike recalled that ignorance is not an excuse to the law, while warning the purveyors of the consequences of their actions.
“The peddlers should be aware that the law that penalizes knowingly or intentionally sending messages or other data via computer systems or networks that are grossly offensive, obscene, menacing, or sent with the intent to cause annoyance, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, or needless anxiety is still enforced”, he stated.
The National President of Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s Support Group, re-emphasised that the governor has demonstrated outstanding performances in various areas of developing the state, boasting that his second tenure is sacrosanct in line with the principle of power rotation of Ebonyi State.
“The governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, has fulfilled his campaign promises as encapsulated in the People’s Charter of Needs, especially by overwhelmingly empowering numerous Ebonyi youths as a result taking many of them out of the streets, which has subsequently reduced social crimes.
“It is also obvious that Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru has done tremendously in the areas of health, education, infrastructure and the empowerment of Ebonyi people in various spheres of life, and cannot be distracted from embarking on projects that will continue to engender multi-sectoral reforms in the state.
“FON youths, therefore reiterate that there is actually no vacancy in Ebonyi State government house until 2031. We align ourselves with the dictum of the founding fathers of Ebonyi State that bequeathed us the principle of power rotation between the three political blocs of Ebonyi North, Ebonyi Central and Ebonyi South.
“Our mobilization which we started in 2023 has been massive. This we have conscientiously sustained and this we have re-doubled ahead of the 2023 general elections to vote massively for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates”,he concluded.
