RE: How Buhari's Minister Awarded Multi-billion Naira Contracts To Self, Others - A Malicious And Fictitious Story

By Jalo Muhammed

Just like it is renowned for, SaharaReporters has once again churned out tales by moonlight, manufactured by purveyors of the rumour mill as an exclusive story on Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, citing alleged shady deals during his stint as National Commissioner (Stakeholder Management) representing South-West at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

In what seems like a politically motivated attempt to tarnish the image of the Honourable Minister, SaharaReporters not only went to town with fabrications, but also ascribed powers to Dare that he did not possess as National Commissioner. For instance, it strangely accused him of awarding contracts to himself and some eminent Nigerians, whereas there was a governing board then chaired by the late Sen. Olabiyi Durojaiye, under whose purview it falls to approve licenses, which SaharaReporters mischievously termed contracts.

While SaharaReporters stated that Sunday Dare gave what it described as Value Added Service (VAS) licenses to himself and other associates, it maliciously in another breadth referred to it as multi-billion naira contracts and went ahead to even allege that the VAS generates N25bn monthly, a figure beyond the earnings of MTN for instance. What a tomfoolery!

It beggars belief that SaharaReporters will go to town with a story that not only stands logic on its head but also patently fictitious, if it is not executing a hatchet job. The fact is that the Durojaiye-led board approved licenses, about 20 of them, in essence, and they followed due process and all laid down procedures. It has nothing to do with Dare, neither were they used to corruptly enrich his associates or himself as the intellectually lazy writer, dubiously alleged.

One would have expected SaharaReporters to provide evidence of a license in Sunday Dare's name, or evidence he signed same for cronies, if it were a credible medium, but we are already used to the gutter journalism they consistently exhibit, with reckless abandon. For the records, Sunday Dare does not own any license, neither did he sign any license on which the malicious story was based. SaharaReporters is guilty of defamation of character by the publication of that concoction of lies and if i were Sunday Dare, I will not only ask for an immediate retraction, but will sue for libel and defamation of character to serve as a deterrent.

That SaharaReporters has become a dumping ground for fake news and an abattoir of blackmail should be a source of worry to members of the forth estate of the realm. Professionalism and ethics of the profession should be guarded jealously and a leash should be put on irresponsible mediums like SaharaReporters before they burn down the country on the altar of ill-conceived fabrications.

A WARNING TO NIGERIANS! READERS BEWARE, SAHARA REPORTERS NOW SAHARA LIARS!

_Jalo Muhammed is a Communications expert based in Kaduna._

Buhari and corruption are inseparable.