Publisher Retracts Defamatory Publication Against Former Nigerian Maritime Varsity’s VC

Information reaching National Wire sources in Yenagoa has it that the Publisher of a Newspaper known as ‘The Eagle Eye’, Mr Daboikiabo Warmate has retracted a defamatory publication he earlier made against the immediate past Vice Chancellor of Nigeria’s premier maritime university, Professor(Mrs) Ongoebi Maureen Etebu

National Wire learnt that the nation’s first and only Maritime university is located at Okerenkoko, Delta State.

It would be recalled that Mr Warmate has made a publication alleging that Prof. Etebu while serving as Vice Chancellor had diverted N1.8 billion being staff salaries and welfare through profiteering from ghost workers on the payroll which she hurriedly covered the looting by conducting a recruitment in November, 2019 and backdated to April, 2019.

However in a retraction which the publisher made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, he said the publication was false, noting also that his decision to retract the publication is as a result of a pending case wherein Prof. Etebu sued the him, (the publisher) and three others, affirming that the matter is before a High Court in Warri, Delta State.

Warmate averred that this retraction, Prof. Etebu has been exonerated on allegation of embezzlement and fraud.

The retraction read in parts: “On the 5th day of July, 2020 I published a news article with the headline ” Re: Prof. Maureen Etebu fingered in N1.8 billion fraud” in an online news platform known as Eagle Eyes, wherein I alleged that Prof. Ongoebi Maureen Orubide Etebu defraud the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State to the tune of N1, 800, 000, 000.00 (One Billion, Eight Hundred Million Naira) which was meant for staff salaries and welfare through profiteering from ghost workers on the payroll, and covered the looting by hurriedly conducting a recruitment in November, 2019 but backedated to April, 2019.

” I hereby state that the news article is false and hereby retract same and render unreserved apology to Prof. Ongoebi Maureen Orubide Etebu for all the inconveniences the publication has caused her, her career and family”.