It can be excusable when actions are taken out of ignorance but not so when persons seen to be enlightened deliberately ignore truths and hold onto falsehood out of flippancy and unbridled sentiments. Such individuals are really dangerous to the society as their goal is to cause social disharmony against their targets for reasons best known to them.
Recently, I got wind of the commencement of payment of #35,000 monthly wage award to personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) as approved by the Federal Government, being part of the palliatives to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal. Not long after the information got to me, I saw on X a text posted by Jackson Ude, a self-acclaimed journalist, claiming his earlier 'criticism' of the leadership of the secret Service prompted the payment of the wage award. After the criticism he alluded to in which he alleged that the Director General State Services (DGSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi, CFR, had embezzled the palliative funds, it came out from a credible source that the Management of the DSS had not even received the funds at the time he was crying foul. There was a statement to that effect which Jackson ignored and still went ahead with his misinformation, just to carry out the bid of his sponsors.
From what I have established with regards to the welfare of the DSS personnel since the appointment of Mr Bichi as the helmsman, operatives of the organization have never had it so good. Aside prompt payment of salaries and other allowances, members of staff are said to enjoy seamless career progression as they are promoted as and when due, devoid of undue mental stress associated with administrations before Bichi. What Jackson described as 'indiscriminate promotions' by the DGSS clearly betrayed the handiwork of some high ranking officers who are embittered by the prerogative of any sitting DGSS to promote personnel found to have exhibited high level of professionalism in the line of duty. This has been the practice, even with the past DGSSes, for the purpose of motivating the beneficiaries and to encourage others to be more dedicated to their duties.
It is my candid opinion that members of the public should endeavor to be making friends with personnel of the various security agencies in the country, including the military. My friendship with some of the personnel of the DSS has really helped me to see things the way they are. This sort of friendship is needed to avoid being gullible to the antics of people like Jackson and his sponsors.
For public guidance, Jackson Ude lives in the United States of America (USA) and was said to have changed residence six times between 2004 and 2020 with the rents overlapping, suggestive of a fugitive. This lends credence to the allegation that he was among residents of areas associated with close to one hundred sexual offenders. He is notorious for being charged with libelous publications against public figures, and mostly hired to engage in such criminal act. He has been convicted several times in the US courts over libel. Instance of this was a case between him and a government official, Simbi Kesiyi Webote. The case was heard in 2021 at the United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, which earned him a conviction. It is thus clear that Jackson's claim of expertise in political communication, media and publicity is nothing but an avenue to malign others for personal gains.
Conclusively and drawing from above, the Government of the USA needs to be wary of Jackson Ude as an ex-convict living in the country. His penchant for publication of falsehoods for pecuniary motives is a red flag pointing to the possibility of the self-acclaimed media practitioner to engage in activities that may impact negatively on the US, especially when exchange of money is involved.
By Felix Ogundairo
