The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has
accused the publisher of an online medium, Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore of
being obsessed with desire to lie against him and that he is fond of creating
fiction, quoting faceless sources.
Saraki in a statement issued by the Special Adviser, Media
and Publicity to Saraki, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, said that medium has commited so
many libellous offences.
Saraki said it is from that prism of the obsession that he
viewed the recent story that accusing him (Saraki) of collecting and laundering
funds related to the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) from the so-called Paris
Club Fund refund.
“Sowore as usual is merely creating fiction and quoting
faceless, non-existent sources in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) without providing any document or stating any fact to support his claim.
“This is sheer blackmail and character assassination.
“This time he was talking of the Senate President
“grabbing N3.5 billion” from the NGF fund.
“We challenge Sowore and his sponsors to produce evidence
of payment of N3.5 billion to Saraki within the next 24 hours.
“Sowore has consistently engaged in this game of defaming
Saraki since the election of the Senate President on June 9, 2015 believing
that he and his sponsors will through lies, mischief and libellous publications
bring Saraki down in a matter of days.
“We recall how at the commencement of the case on Asset
Declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, he was reeling out lies which the
proceedings in the CCT have since proved to be untrue.
“As at yesterday, the key Prosecution Witness from the
Code Of Conduct Bureau has admitted that in September 2015 when they filed the
case against Saraki, there was no evidence against him.
“We recall that this same Sowore had alleged that Saraki
bribed a former Chief Justice of Nigeria to influence the CCT case.
“This has since proved to be a lie that cannot be
supported by any fact. Later, he shifted his bribery allegation to the Director
of Public Prosecution in the Federal Ministry of Justice who he claimed was
induced to withdraw the CCT case.
“This has since been proved to be another bare-faced lie.
He later alleged that the Senate President had influenced the verdict of a
judgement at the Court of Appeal which was then arrested. That was another
fabrication not supported by any fact. Other areas where he had concocted lies
against Saraki was the allegation that the Senate President was involved in the
Sambo Dasuki fund saga. That was another lie. Again, when there was a robbery
incident involving money owned by a Bureau de Change, Sahara Reporters claimed
Saraki owned the money. This has been proved to be a big lie. Just as this
claim of N3.5bn payment by NGF has not been supported by any fact,” he said.
He said that it was wrong for the Sahara Reporters
Publisher to be brandishing lies against him and getting away with them.
Olaniyonu said that journalism practice was about truth,
objectivity and strong ethics: he therefore claimed that Sahara Reporters was
not practicing Journalism but outright blackmail.
“He goes after those not ready to pay his price. That is
why he has continued to live beyond his legitimate means. We are set to expose
his game and let people see him for what he is.
“It should be known that there is nothing that depicts
corruption more than the circulation of falsehood and engaging in the game of
blackmail.
“It is our plan to employ all lawful means to protect the
integrity and reputation of Dr. Saraki, including exposing the antics of this
man who pretend to be acting in public interest.
“We therefore call on all members of the public to ignore
and disregard the claims contained in Sahara Reporters stories concerning
Saraki and the N 3.5 billion NGF Paris Club fund.
“The Senate President has absolutely nothing to do with
any transfer or repayment of money by the NGF,” he said.
He added that the report was just a figment of the
imagination of the publisher of the online medium.
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