Northern Governor Gary Juffa has queried the motives of a newspaper journalist and the Oro provincial administrator in promoting a story which was untrue and misleading.
The story, titled "Mill closure causes job loss", appeared in The National newspaper on April 14 on page 5.
The story claimed that a timber mill had closed down and 500 jobs were affected because the Governor had failed to sign permits, allowing for the harvest of timber for processing by the company.
The article further claimed that the administration processed all necessary paperwork but were awaiting the Governor to sign off.
The Governor however, refutes this stating that he had no such documents and had never been contacted by the provincial administrator on this matter.
"The administrator had my email and numbers. I am available 24 hours, seven days a week. I have never been advised of this matter or its urgency.
“In fact, I am yet to receive a single report from the administrator since he took office. I take this effort to defame and create false perception seriously.
“What are the motives of the journalist who also did not contact me and paper and the administrator in publishing these malicious untruths? I have allowed the mill to operate since I took office given it is dealing with landowners directly to purchase timber in selective logging and is engaged in downstream processing.
“As long as it is compliant with laws, pays its workers honestly and pays taxes and pays landowners fairly, I have no problem."
Governor Juffa was seeking an explanation from the Oro administration and the papers.
He is consulting his lawyer for possible legal action against all parties involved in defaming him and demeaning the Office of the Governor with publicised untruths.