E-X-P-O-S-E-D! Sahara Reporters lied, as Sokoto Govt busts fake fund diversion report

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

Complaints received showed that it was not the first time Sahara Reporters would publish stories aiming at running the Sokoto State Government and its leadership down

Sahara Reporters, an online newspaper owned by a “westernised brain” only freed from facing justice by President Muhammadu Buhari’s magnanimity for plotting a coup against his government in 2019 (names withheld), has been exposed as carrying two fake news in one week and still quoting institutions of state to justify its fakeness.

It will be recalled that Sahara Reporters had published an “exclusive” Thursday March 31, 2022 that the Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, diverted N189 billion in six years and it credited its source to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Earlier, it published, equally exclusive, that Aso Rock tried to push former President Goodluck Jonathan to be given All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential ticket for 2023 but that he rejected the offer because of conditions attached.

Complaints received showed that it was not the first time Sahara Reporters would publish stories aiming at running the Sokoto State Government and its leadership down but that each of the attempts, believed to be sponsored by certain elements yet to be uncovered either within the political space or in EFCC, has always slammed back at its face.

A couple of years ago, under Ibrahim Magu, a tenure generally believed to have elements engulfed in media trials of allegations of corruption or providing wrong information to cohorts within the media to blackmail people, the same medium did a similarly baseless report, for which reason a call is now going to President Muhammadu Buhari to punish Sahara Reporters and others dealing in disseminating misinformation, to end the menace.

On Sokoto State alone, in a couple of years, Sahara Reporters had published up to three reports all exclusive and with no correlation.  The latest, which is understandably politically motivated to stop Tambuwal from pursuing his Presidential ambition come 2023, has been debunked by the Sokoto State Government while saying the alleged diversion of N189 billion stated in the report was false and malicious.

The DEFENDER reports that President Buhari about a week ago, while commending AbdulRasheed Bawa for his successes and EFCC chairman so far, had warned him not to concern himself with politics. That was as APC National Convention was near and certain national chairmanship aspirant was being maligned in the main, online and social media as having corruption cases because it was sensed he was the choice of the Villa.

In a statement Saturday in Sokoto, Malam Mohammad Bello, Special Adviser Media and Publicity to Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, urged Nigerians to disregard the report. Although the statement did not mention name of any medium, it was clear that the exclusive report was by Sahara Reporters.

It reads: “Our attention has been drawn to reckless and provoking reports by some online new media about alleged diversion of N189 Billion by the Sokoto State Government.”

“The reports cited a so-called EFCC interim report on Sokoto State. These media reports are false in all material particulars and should be completely disregarded.

“We alert the public that these media reports are products of orchestrated efforts by political hacks to taint the reputation of Governor Aminu Tambuwal, who is a frontline aspirant for 2023 PDP Presidential ticket.

“The Government of Sokoto State has established deserved reputation as the champion of budget transparency, fiscal responsibility, and open governance. We have subscribed to the Open Government Partnership (OGP).

“It is noteworthy that in December 2020, the World Bank rated the Sokoto State as number one state in Nigeria in fiscal transparency as a recognition of Governor Tambuwal’s unflinching commitment to the implementation of the States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) and for efforts to champion budgetary transparency in Nigeria. For this commitment, Sokoto State has received up to $34.1million as special grant from the World Bank.

“Governor Tambuwal in pursuit of fiscal responsibility and anti-corruption in management of public finance in Sokoto State has created the Sokoto State Bureau of Public Procurement and Private Partnership and Fiscal Responsibility Commission to review and investigate all public expenditure.

“The agencies are independent agencies established by law. To further strengthen vertical and horizontal agencies of accountability in the state, Governor Tambuwal has signed law granting the Offices of Auditor General in the state and local government councils in Sokoto State operational independence to investigate all records of public expenditure in Sokoto State.

“Nigerians know Governor Tambuwal as a champion of due process and fiscal probity, who as the Speaker of the House of Representative received a clean bill of health from all anti-corruption agencies. He has been an inspiration for his commitment to prudent and honest management of public finance.

“He has continued to run an open government in Sokoto State. In line with his high standard of probity and open government, Governor Tambuwal invites any person who cares to look into the records of the state and to request the report of the Sokoto State Bureau of Public Procurement and Private Partnership on all public expenditures in Sokoto State.”