Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC) wishes to update its members, volunteers, followers, local and international development partners who are interested and have been following this matter on the outcome of the case on defamation of characters of both YEAC and Fyneface over alleged theft of “Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative -(PACORDI)” in Suit N0. PHC/1057/CS/2021 on Friday, April 8, 2022.

YEAC and Fyneface had gone to the Rivers State High court in the Port Harcourt Judicial Division on April 1, 2021 and sued Mr. Mao Nangi who on March 15, 2021 made abusive, character defamatory social media post he titled “FRAUD ALERT: PLAGIARISM OF THE HIGHEST ORDER” followed by series of telephone call-threats against them for allegedly stealing “his idea” on “PACORDI”.

After first appearances in court, the defendant, Mr. Mao Nangi who alleged “plagiarism” in his defamatory post against YEAC and Fyneface-hence nicknaming him “Mr. Plagiarism” according to his own words challenged the competence and jurisdiction of the State High Court to entertain the matter in a motion and that the case is supposed to be filed in a Federal High Court as it has to do with trademark and ownership of “PACORDI” therefore it should be struck out. YEAC and Fyneface’s suit was based on defamation of characters; a libel suit focused chiefly on the defamations in his Facebook (Meta) post in the process of laying claim to PACORDI that does not belong to him in the first instance. You can read more about Advocacy Centre’s response to his post with link to his original defamatory post here: https://bit.ly/PACORDITheft.

Ruling on the defendant’s motion and process on lack of jurisdiction claim on April 8, the court said it has jurisdiction over the matter because it is a libel case and from the entire body of processes filed by YEAC and Fyneface and the exhibits presented as what Mr. Mao published about the NGO and its Executive Director which the judge read out in court as well as the reliefs sought by the claimants are all in line and in order with the suit on Libel which is within the legal jurisdiction of the State High Court therefore, the hearing of the case will continue in the State High Court as filled by Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC) and Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface.

With this victory over Mr. Mao Nangi’s unholy window to evade justice in the first instance after his malicious, defamatory and libelous publications against a credible internationally recognized and famed organization like Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC) believed to being sponsored to carry-out, the court adjoined the case to April 29, May 10 and May 11, 2022 in what seems to be accelerated hearing for pre-trial and hearings respectively.

For the avoidance of doubt by those who may not already know, Advocacy Centre has a strong local and international mention, popularity, credibility and reputation that cuts across many countries in all the continents of the world through its activities and also that of its Executive Director especially through international media appearances and public speaking engagements.

Besides, a foundational recognition and credibility of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC) Nigeria lies in the fact that the organization was established as a legacy of its Executive Director, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface’s participation in International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) sponsored by the Government of the United States of America (USA) in 2018 (after it was postponed from 2017 that the organization was set up on instructions ahead of the travel to America) using tax-payers money of the American people through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S Department of State upon the nomination and recommendation of the United States of America’s Embassy and Consulate General in Nigeria. The project document mandated the establishment of an organization known today as “YEAC” to serve as an interventionist platform to implement the professional exchange experiences from the American communities and system to strategically contribute to community, social and peoples development by strengthening community-based advocacy in the Niger Delta through multi-stakeholder engagement.

Furthermore, YEAC is endemically entrenched and circulated in many governments and nongovernmental institutions and organizations in the American system were the mandate for its establishment originated from and positioned to draw support from those, to make impacts in the Niger Delta and Nigeria.

In addition, YEAC and its Executive Director are also globally introduced by the United States Department of State on an alumni website database of previous IVLP participants since commencement of the program in 1940 and connected across the world for collaborations and synergy to thrive Advocacy Centre to make impacts in Nigeria.

Thus, it would be wrong for anyone to wake up from his slumber, claim ignorant of the law and think that an organization like Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC) established under Nigerian Constitution and since inception has been operating within the ambits of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, meeting its regulatory and reporting obligations to the regulatory agencies and tax authorities including Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rivers State Board of International Revenue Service and Federal Inland Revenue Service as tax-collector among others is not a credible organization.

Those who look down on YEAC and try to pull it and its Executive Director down unnecessarily may be making mistakes because Advocacy Centre is a member of many local and international organizations and networks across the world, category two European Union/British Council rated organization as well as one of the top advocacy organizations in Nigeria and its Executive Director arguably one of the top twenty FRONTLINE local and international media advocates in the Niger Delta in contemporary society that had addressed events in the United Nations of over 193 countries, profiled by Amnesty International among others with high local and international recognition, credibility and global dependability which Mr. Nangi should know that it would be unthinkable for him or anyone else to describe this kind of NGO which is unique and special by its foundation among any other NGOs in Rivers State, Niger Delta and Nigeria and its Executive Director with those unprintable names he vomited out of his mouth and thinks he can go away free without proving his allegations beyond all reasonable doubts to a court of competent jurisdiction.

Therefore, in this case, while the burden and onus of proof lies on Mr. Mao Nangi who alleges these defamatory things against YEAC and Fyneface Dumnamene; the claimants (YEAC and Fyneface) are to also demonstrate to the honorable court and Mr. Nangi with relevant documents that we have already submitted to him and the court among others that the reverse is the case that both YEAC and Fyneface Dumnamene are credible and direct opposite of those words he used on us and the court left with facts which it will at the end of the day used to serve justice to all the parties involved.

At this juncture, the truth based on facts already presented to the court and those known to the public is already very clear for even the blind to see and the deaf to hear who is either actually right or wrong; who defamed whose character and who stole whose idea and it is just a matter of time for the truth to prevail through the eyes of the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

What Mr. Mao Nangi, those sponsoring and supporting him to pull down Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC) and Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, an outstanding son, innocent of all the accusations, nationally and globally acclaimed advocate from the Niger Delta to the world should note is that he is unjustly challenging the very foundation of American Government legacy in the Niger Delta and America is aware and watching with keen interest through the Embassy and Consulate General in Nigeria.

Advocacy Centre and Fyneface Dumnamene appreciate all those who have stood by us in this challenging time and urge you all not to relent in your supports, prayers and cooperation as we will neither steal anyone’s idea nor use unprintable/derogatory terms/words on anyone in our daily actions, activities and development advocacies.

FYNEFACE DUMNAMENE FYNEFACE,

Executive Director, Advocacy Centre and National Facilitator,

Project with Artisanal Crude Oil Refiners (PACOR) for Modular Refineries in the Niger Delta

11-04-2022