Africa : Saïd Penda, the fake journalist at the service of the slander against EBOMAF
For several weeks now, a coordinated smear campaign has been targeting the EBOMAF Group, a flagship of West African dynamism. At the heart of this media offensive, one name keeps surfacing: Saïd Penda. This controversial figure, who presents himself as an investigative journalist, is better known for his questionable methods and a past marked by shady dealings. He now appears to have reinvented himself as a purveyor of hired journalism, wielded as a tool to discredit those who refuse to yield to his demands.
Consistent reports indicate that Saïd Penda allegedly tried to approach EBOMAF’s management in hopes of securing paid collaboration. Faced with the group’s firm refusal to give in to any form of pressure or compromise, he reportedly launched a defamation campaign, multiplying baseless accusations and insinuations. Such behavior has nothing to do with journalistic investigation, and everything to do with media blackmail.
These tactics aim neither to inform nor to advance public debate. This is clearly an act of informational sabotage, driven by opaque motives and personal vendettas. Allowing such practices to flourish puts an entire nation’s reputation at risk—a nation where information can be manipulated in service of private interests. This poses a serious threat not only to press freedom but also to economic and social stability.
True to its values of rigor, transparency, and development, the EBOMAF Group, under the leadership of Mr. Mahamadou Bonkoungou, refuses to be distracted by these unfounded attacks. It continues its commitment to major infrastructure projects and regional integration. It is high time for the authorities and the public to distinguish true journalists from those who merely seek to profit from their pen at the expense of truth and the common good.
