July 28, 2016 Samuel Ogundipe

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Thursday said he would pursue defamation charges against PREMIUM TIMES for allegedly publishing a “libellous” material circulated by a former chairman of House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin.
Mr. Dogara said he gave this newspaper a seven-day grace period for it to retract and apologise for publishing the July 25 article which Mr. Jibrin said he distributed to media houses to throw more light on the unfolding budget padding scandal involving him, Mr. Dogara and other House principal officers.
In a letter dated July 27 and titled: “Demand for Apology for a Libelous Publication Contained in the Front Page of Your Newspaper of July 26, 2016,” Mr. Dogara quoted excerpts of the article and said their publication caused him “public opprobrium, odium, scorn and ridicule”.
Mr. Dogara and Mr. Jibrin had been locked in fierce political and media battle after the latter was removed as chair of the appropriation committee last Wednesday.
Mr. Jibrin, a lawmaker from Kano State, said Mr. Dogara colluded with his deputy, Yusuf Lasun, Chief Whip Alhassan Doguwa, and Minority Whip Leo Ogor to allot up to ₦40 billion to themselves in the budget.
The lawmakers denied the allegations and said Mr. Jibrin was angry because he lost his position as chairman of Committee on Appropriation.
Mr. Dogara’s letter to PREMIUM TIMES was written by a law firm, Messrs. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) and Co., and was signed by Johnson Usman, a legal partner in the firm.
“The personal references are obviously directed at our client and amount to a very serious libel,” the letter said.
“Take notice that in the event of your failure/refusal to unconditionally retract your false and defamatory statements within seven (7) days of the receipt of this letter, you will have left us with no choice but to proceed with legal action against you. In that event, we will pursue all options to undo the reputational injury caused by you including a claim for aggravated and exemplary damages,” Mr. Dogara’s lawyers said.
PREMIUM TIMES’ legal adviser, Jiti Ogunye, said this paper did nothing untoward in publishing Mr. Jibrin’s allegations, and said Mr. Dogara’s threat was “unwarranted and legally offensive”.
Mr. Ogunye said Mr. Dogara’s action was aimed at stifling the freedom of the press.
“Indeed, it is a calculated but an unacceptable attempt to kill the right to freedom of expression and the press,” Mr. Ogunye said. “Section 22 of the Constitution imposes a duty on the press to hold the government accountable to the people. And what PREMIUM TIMES is doing is a very professional and responsible discharge of that constitutional duty.”
“The allegations and counter allegations from both sides are fairly reflected in PREMIUM TIMES reports and it is in the public interest that PREMIUM TIMES is upholding the right of the Nigerian people to know.”
Mr. Ogunye said Mr. Dogara was trying to drag PREMIUM TIMES into the corruption scandal rocking the House in order to create a legal loophole for himself and others enmeshed in it.
“A mischief is afoot because this threat to institute a civil action alleging defamation of character may just be a way to immediately deposit the allegations in a court so that they can say ‘because the matter is already in court it can no longer be entertained before the House.’”
Mr. Ogunye said rather than threaten PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Dogara should preoccupy himself with relentless invitation to the EFCC and ICPC to come in and investigate the scandal, adding that PREMIUM TIMES would remain firm in its resolve to ensure that Nigerians remain abreast of unfolding developments in the scandal as well as other cases of sharp practices in public service.
“PREMIUM TIMES cannot be intimidated by the Speaker or anyone else because the shield of PREMIUM TIMES is integrity and adherence to the highest professional standards in journalism,” Mr. Ogunye said.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/207723-budget-padding-scandal-speaker-dogara-threatens-legal-action-premium-times.html

Make Dogara go sit down jare. Bunch of rogues.

They abuse him for not signing budget on time. If he had, Saraki, Dogara & Co would've made cool #30 Billion! They call him baba go slow.

I call him Baba save money.

Love or hate him, there is one thing you cannot take away from this being- INTERGRITY.

This issue just dey sweet me gan.
I wonder wetin go happen if sahara reporters chok mouth....

If not that I feared Dogara would drag me to court, I would have said that his sacking Jibril is like slapping a mosquito that landed on his scrotum. But I would not say it.

and i was in service when this Dogara gave testimony with Bishop Abioye and all the congregation thanking God for him o!!

Which God was he thanking then?

Unfortunately, no one is a saint among our politicians.

Mr. Ogunye said Mr. Dogara was trying to drag PREMIUM TIMES into the corruption scandal rocking the House in order to create a legal loophole for himself and others enmeshed in it.
“A mischief is afoot because this threat to institute a civil action alleging defamation of character may just be a way to immediately deposit the allegations in a court so that they can say ‘because the matter is already in court it can no longer be entertained before the House.’”

Dogara bursted!

drag PREMIUM TIMES into the corruption scandal rocking the House in order to create a legal loophole for himself and others enmeshed in it.
“A mischief is afoot because this threat to institute a civil action alleging defamation of character may just be a way to immediately deposit the allegations in a court so that they can say ‘because the matter is already in court it can no longer be entertained before the House.’”

This is the crux of the matter
Instead of Dogara to sue Jibrin, he goes at premium times
Your neighbour calls you a thief you kept quite then you heard in the news that you neighbour said you are a thief you decide to sue the newscaster.
Welcome to Nigeria

I was actually beginning to think this Dogara fellow was above board, not knowing he's just a chameleon.
At this rate, one is tempted to conclude that all members of the National Assembly are thieves.
Wole Soyinka is right, these N. A. is Nigeria's biggest problem.

Why is Mr. Budget Padding Speaker aka Paddington "Dog-a-ram" merely threatening.

Just sue if you wanna sue, must you threaten.

Fake bold face.

I had so much respect for this guy. He really "fall" my hand badly.

Oga just go to court and stop disturbing our peace

Foolish move by corrupt Dogara. An attack on one media house is an attack on all.

As long as he pads the suit against them no shaking.

If any man be un APC,his brain is immediately replaced with over whelming stupidity.This is the antics of indicted politicians.Instead of this Dogara to rise up to the direct legal tussle Jubrin has challenged him to,like Buhari or Saraki, he rather choose to tactically avoid the main issue to chase the whirlwind.Welcome to Nigeria!

I now agree Dogara is guilty..

shukuokukobambi:
and i was in service when this Dogara gave testimony with Bishop Abioye and all the congregation thanking God for him o!!

Which God was he thanking then?

yea...i could vividly remeber the day.i watched it on ait...he was even given a mike for special testimony.

When churches see wealthy ppl and politicians..........

Please do that ASAP

Again thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari for refusing to give ascent to that padded document and insisting that the right thing was done. God bless PMB. A Goodluck Jonathan Ebele would simply have signed the padded document either in connivance, or under the unfluence of a couple of ogogoro shots.

You are even lucky its premium times not Sahara Reporters

Drama and drama

Dogara suing since 2015AD

Sue premium Times ko!
Sue premium Times ni!
Padding master, no shame at all.
Resign from that seat and become a floor
Member is as simple as that ok.
Apc,pdp,apga etc in national assembly re all the same in money matter. Padding masters.

bad govt.

pls,be fast about it....jibrin must not go scot free..../s

Dis Dogara can threaten for Africa

This Dogara can't stop to amuse me, an allegation is levelled against you, instead of you to defend yourself, you are attacking the media. Maybe jubrin was right when he said dogara is running around bribing media houses to kill the stories. But are they going to stop him from using his twitter handles? I love this administration walahi, at least we are seeing glimpses of tackling on corruption, unlike in the past. we need to kill that thing they call corruption that have become a norm in this society, if not it will kill us.

Dogara has been busted. He was at a cross road if not, e wouldn't have sacked Jibrin as the Chairman House Committee on Appropriation. The president asked him to deal ruthlessly with those involved in the budget padding and all he could do was to use Jibrin as the scapegoat. All those involved must dance to the tune of the music.
#stampoutcorruption#

Lol!


Owó padà te bòòdá shá

after u don talk am finish. Ppl! Una sense too much

phyllosilicate:
If not that I feared Dogara would drag me to court, I would have said that his sacking Jibril is like slapping a mosquito that landed on his scrotum. But I would not say it.

The truth is ones a new saying comes to town, the truth element is almost 100%.

'Budget padding' is the new phrase in town. And the way we are hearing it, it is a crime committed by our law makers.

Mr Speaker all your legal action threat don't make sense at all. This 'una' crime cannot be successful without the approval of the supervisor-Speaker sir.

Budget padding - the new phrase in town.

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Dogara, go home. You are drunk again