Sahara Reporters took bribe in dollars to write falsehood against us – Zamfara Govt
By IBRAHIM KANOMA, Gusau
Sahara Reporters was paid $1,000 US dollars through a bureau de change in Lagos to facilitate the publication of the report within the week to coincide with Governor Bello Matawalle’s two years anniversary in office.
Zamfara State Government has accused Sahara Reporters of collecting $1,000 to write falsehood against it.
This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Magaji Dosara, while reacting to publication by the online newspaper that Zamfara State Government had closed the state university for two years due to undisclosed reasons.
He said Sahara Reporters made an attempt to castigate Governor Mohammed Bello Matawalle with a view to discrediting his government.
He further said the Omoyele Sowore’s medium had lost focus and allowed itself to become a willing agent of governance distraction, destabilization of Nigeria’s unity and corporate existence through junk journalism and arm chair media practice.
He said Sahara Reporters is no longer doing well with involving itself in publication of incitiment, hate speeches and jumpy unverified stories.
The Commissioner said Sahara Reporters, by its blackmail and unfounded allegations, was under the illusion that Governor Bello Matawalle could be distracted from the good works he has been doing to the people of Zamfara State.
He said the paper had now resorted to intimidating governors, ministers and national legislators with a view to blackmailing them to pay large sums of money to the medium as bribe to supposedly kill or cover up libelous stories largely cooked by itself and its numerous mercenaries.
Commissioner Dosara said, therefore, that “it is not surprising to see the online medium continuing its subversive, unpatriotic attempt and activities by causing hatred and disunity among the peace loving people of this great nation.”
He further said, “this is not the first time the online medium is making attempt to dent the integrity, dignity and hard earned polical reputation of Governor Bello Matawalle and his Government.”
He maintained that Sahara Reporters was paid $1,000 US dollars through a bureau de change in Lagos to facilitate the publication of the report within the week to coincide with Governor Bello Matawalle’s two years anniversary in office.
On the state university, he said “based on the report submitted to the government, there was nothing called state university in existence based on the following reasons; Absence of the necessary infrastructure and structure, absence of management for both academics and none academics and absence of lecturers.
Others are, absence of hostel accommodation for students, absence of accommodation for the staff, lack of principal management staff and absence of lecture halls, laboratories and libraries.”
He said, “there is no how students can study in a university without such structures and other basic necessities for learning,he therefore said,it is surprising for the writers and the online medium to claim that government of Matawalle has shut down the university.”
