A youth organisation in Ebonyi State, Ohaukwu Youth General Assembly has expressed concern over viral publications on social media alleging gay practice in the community and warned those circulating the publication to desist from sit or face legal action.
The president of the Assembly, Comrade Onah Emmanuel, in a statement made available to journalists said that those behind the publication were not just defaming the characters of youths of the community but also creating a negative perception in the minds of people.
"On behalf of the leadership of Ohaukwu Youths General Assembly, I wish to warn those who are defaming the characters of Ohaukwu youths on their social media handles to immediately withdraw and desist from such act.
"Our attention was drawn to a publication made by one Steven Ugama who hails from Onicha LGA and Udoka Ede who hails from Ohaukwu LGA which is aimed at tarnishing the image of Ohaukwu youths.
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"In the said publication on their Facebook page, it was alleged that one Ohaukwu youth whose name, village or his parents identity were not revealed alleged that the youth died at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, AEfetha as a result of being involved in gay practice.
"The publications by Mr. Ugama prompted our brother, Udoka Ede and others at large to take to their social media handles to start pouring aspersions on the character and integrity of Ohaukwu youths in General which has brought ridicule and embarrassment to the youths of the community.
"Unfortunately, in the said social media post, the name of the youth that died in the hospital as claimed was not disclosed, his particular community or village in Ohaukwu were not also disclosed neither did the poster disclose the identity of the parents.
The poster also alleged that he confessed to his parents those who coerce him into gay practice in the community. The leadership of the Assembly and other concerns citizen will be keen to have the details to enable us interface with parents so as to initiate a case against whoever that is involved in such dastardly act.
"We want to unequivocally State that Ohaukwu Community is too small that a youth will die in such circumstance and nobody will know at least his name, village or his parents."
The youth president maintained that the community frowns at gay practice and won't hesitate to punish anyone found in such practice adding that the community does not have such record until it is proven.
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The General Assembly urged the youths of the community not to join strangers and those who are bent on destroying the good reputation of the youths of the community in assassinating and defaming the character and integrity of Ohaukwu youths. "Let us learn to always separate and sieve facts from emotions.
"We want to make it clear that he who asserts must prove. I therefore warn our youths to desist from using their social media handles or any other means to pour aspersions on personality of Ohaukwu youths. Such character assassination must stop immediately. All post made on social media must be withdrawn and pulled down and the people must desist from such act.
"As a group, we cannot watch anybody no matter how highly placed to drag to the mud or defame the character and integrity of Ohaukwu youths.
"I therefore direct those who made baseless and unrooted publications against the characters of Ohaukwu youths through their social media handles to pull it down immediately and apologize to Ohaukwu youths, otherwise should backup their claim with an evidence," he said.
