Senate President Bukola
Saraki has announced his decision to initiate legal action against
online publication, Premium Times, for a recent report it published
which accused him of being involved a in a fraudulent
scheme.
According to a report by UDEME, an
initiative of Premium Times which is focused on Nigeria’s public
procurement and budget implementation practices, Saraki, Speaker of
the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara,
and Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, were
named in the fraudulent scheme involving the sum of N10
billion.
According to Premium Times, the N10
billion was illegally withdrawn from the national treasury based on
Adeosun’s approval before it was received and shared by Saraki and
Dogara. The sum was allegedly released to Saraki and Dogara after
they plotted and submitted a list of 82 contractors which they
claimed the National Assembly was owing for contracts executed.
In reaction to the story which was
published on Friday, April 20, 2018, Saraki’s Special Adviser on
Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said
the report “is pure and unmitigated false news”.
Olaniyonu said all contract awards
are overseen by the National Assembly management and not presiding
officers like Saraki. He said that the Senate President has nothing
to do with any payment, receipt or disbursement of any
extra-budgetary funds as alleged by the report.
He concluded by saying the report
is part of a smear campaign by political adversaries to discredit
the Senate President, and that his legal team is in the process of
initiating legal action.
The statement
read, “Again, our attention has been drawn to a
publication by Premium Times which unethically alleges without any
proof, reference, attribution or justification that the President
of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, was involved in
receiving or sharing any unauthorized funds.
“The article, entitled
“EXCLUSIVE: Minister Adeosun, Saraki, Dogara, Accountant General in
N10 billion fraud scandal”, in both its style, substance, and
deliberate spin struggles to connect the Senate President to the
receipt and apportioning of funds which the publication describes
as “illegal.”
“In the absence of any doubt,
the President of the Senate has nothing to do with any payment,
receipt or disbursement of any extra-budgetary funds.
“It is also important to state
for the record that the Premium Times article in question is pure
and unmitigated false news. A simple check by Premium Times would
have revealed that all funds in the National Assembly are in the
custody of the National Assembly Management, which is headed by the
Clerk, and not its Presiding Officers.
“Additionally, all contract
awards are equally overseen by the National Assembly management,
not the Presiding Officers.
“We are aware that for some
weeks now, Premium Times has had this story. However, they only
contacted us on Wednesday, and the Clerk of the National Assembly,
after a phone call from the Special Adviser on Media &
Publicity to the President of the Senate, promised to give them all
necessary explanation and documents on this issue.
“However, it is obvious that in
the bid to rope in Senator Saraki, the reporters of Premium Times
could not wait to see the Clerk and rushed to publish the story
with outright falsehood less than 24 hours after the Clerk made the
aforementioned promise.
“We are surprised that without
any proof whatsoever, Premium Times was using expressions like:
“Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, have just illegally received and
shared”; “Saraki and Dogara submitted”; and “Investigations by
PREMIUM TIMES showed that at least 44 of the 82 contractors Messrs
Saraki and Dogara…” These are highly defamatory and careless
expressions.
“It is expected, that the
Editors of Premium Times will not be ignorant of the internal
procurement and payment process in an organization like the
National Assembly that they have covered and “investigated” for as
long as they (Premium Times) has been in existence.
“We consider this as part of
the orchestrated campaign of calumny being waged against Dr. Saraki
by some political elements using media platforms in which they have
interests.
“In this regard, for this
careless and unwarranted assault on the person of the President of
the Senate — after several previous warnings — the lawyers of the
President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, will be
initiating legal action on this particular matter.
“Finally, we ask the public to
disregard the Premium Times piece, and take it for what it is, and
will continue to be: “Fake News.”
When Premium Times contacted the
Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed
Idris, over the report, he had explained that the
controversial payment was sourced from a N20 billion service-wide
vote “provided for local contractors’ liabilities under
the 2017 Appropriation for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies
(MDAs) and institutions of Government.”
Senate President Bukola
Saraki has announced his decision to initiate legal action against
online publication, Premium Times, for a recent report it published
which accused him of being involved a in a fraudulent
scheme.
According to a report by UDEME, an
initiative of Premium Times which is focused on Nigeria’s public
procurement and budget implementation practices, Saraki, Speaker of
the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara,
and Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, were
named in the fraudulent scheme involving the sum of N10
billion.
According to Premium Times, the N10
billion was illegally withdrawn from the national treasury based on
Adeosun’s approval before it was received and shared by Saraki and
Dogara. The sum was allegedly released to Saraki and Dogara after
they plotted and submitted a list of 82 contractors which they
claimed the National Assembly was owing for contracts executed.
In reaction to the story which was
published on Friday, April 20, 2018, Saraki’s Special Adviser on
Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said
the report “is pure and unmitigated false news”.
Olaniyonu said all contract awards
are overseen by the National Assembly management and not presiding
officers like Saraki. He said that the Senate President has nothing
to do with any payment, receipt or disbursement of any
extra-budgetary funds as alleged by the report.
He concluded by saying the report
is part of a smear campaign by political adversaries to discredit
the Senate President, and that his legal team is in the process of
initiating legal action.
The statement
read, “Again, our attention has been drawn to a
publication by Premium Times which unethically alleges without any
proof, reference, attribution or justification that the President
of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, was involved in
receiving or sharing any unauthorized funds.
“The article, entitled
“EXCLUSIVE: Minister Adeosun, Saraki, Dogara, Accountant General in
N10 billion fraud scandal”, in both its style, substance, and
deliberate spin struggles to connect the Senate President to the
receipt and apportioning of funds which the publication describes
as “illegal.”
“In the absence of any doubt,
the President of the Senate has nothing to do with any payment,
receipt or disbursement of any extra-budgetary funds.
“It is also important to state
for the record that the Premium Times article in question is pure
and unmitigated false news. A simple check by Premium Times would
have revealed that all funds in the National Assembly are in the
custody of the National Assembly Management, which is headed by the
Clerk, and not its Presiding Officers.
“Additionally, all contract
awards are equally overseen by the National Assembly management,
not the Presiding Officers.
“We are aware that for some
weeks now, Premium Times has had this story. However, they only
contacted us on Wednesday, and the Clerk of the National Assembly,
after a phone call from the Special Adviser on Media &
Publicity to the President of the Senate, promised to give them all
necessary explanation and documents on this issue.
“However, it is obvious that in
the bid to rope in Senator Saraki, the reporters of Premium Times
could not wait to see the Clerk and rushed to publish the story
with outright falsehood less than 24 hours after the Clerk made the
aforementioned promise.
“We are surprised that without
any proof whatsoever, Premium Times was using expressions like:
“Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, have just illegally received and
shared”; “Saraki and Dogara submitted”; and “Investigations by
PREMIUM TIMES showed that at least 44 of the 82 contractors Messrs
Saraki and Dogara…” These are highly defamatory and careless
expressions.
“It is expected, that the
Editors of Premium Times will not be ignorant of the internal
procurement and payment process in an organization like the
National Assembly that they have covered and “investigated” for as
long as they (Premium Times) has been in existence.
“We consider this as part of
the orchestrated campaign of calumny being waged against Dr. Saraki
by some political elements using media platforms in which they have
interests.
“In this regard, for this
careless and unwarranted assault on the person of the President of
the Senate — after several previous warnings — the lawyers of the
President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, will be
initiating legal action on this particular matter.
“Finally, we ask the public to
disregard the Premium Times piece, and take it for what it is, and
will continue to be: “Fake News.”
When Premium Times contacted the
Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed
Idris, over the report, he had explained that the
controversial payment was sourced from a N20 billion service-wide
vote “provided for local contractors’ liabilities under
the 2017 Appropriation for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies
(MDAs) and institutions of Government.”
Read more https://nairalaw.com/senate-president-to-sue-premium-times-for-report-on-alleged-n10bn-fraud/