Kebbi Gov’t gives Guardian Newspaper 48hrs to retract story on N376bn roads’ project
Kebbi Gov’t gives Guardian Newspaper 48hrs to retract story on N376bn roads’ project
The Kebbi Government,on Wednesday, gave 48 hours to Guardian Newspaper, to retract purported story published in the paper that the state government had expended N376 billion on roads’ construction from 2015 to 2021 in the state.
The state Commissioner of Works and Transport, Alhaji Abubakar Chika Ladan, gave the warning while briefing newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on alleged fictitious and fake story published on Feb. 7 by the paper in the state.
He said,” It could be recalled that on Feb. 7, 2021, the Guardian newspaper reported that the Kebbi State spent N376 billion on roads’ construction in the state.
“That story appeared on Social Media at the first instance which we responded in the same social media that the story was not correct as claimed by the newspaper; the state government only spent N57.6 billion, but instead of adhering to that correction, the newspaper went and printed it on the paper a week after; which means, it either did not accept the correction or it was a deliberate issue of distortion.”
Chika Ladan added that the paper lied to him of briefing newsmen on 6 Feb. and reported the story on 7 Feb.,and denied ever meeting the reporter of the paper nor was he interviewed by anyone in the ministry on the issue.
“So, how did he get his information that he interviewed me and quoted me as saying N376 billion was expended roads’ construction?.
” I still called the reporter insisting he should correct the story which he agreed but instead on Feb. 19, another story was published on the same social media that,’ Kebbi State denied wasting N376 billion on roads’ construction’.
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“And the story said that the state government had said that contrary to claim by opposition politicians only about N50 billion was spent on the roads.
“The reporter was blaming the politicians for putting the figure, not himself or his paper.
” This is fictitious, lies and just a figment of the reporter’s imagination, therefore he and his paper should retract the story and correct it,”he said.
He also revealed that the state government had expended only N57.6 billion fr 2015 to date, saying the records were there for everyone to see.
“We, therefore, give notice of 48 hours to do the correction and retract the story, otherwise, we will take legal action against the reporter and the paper,” Chika Ladan said.
The commissioner urged the journalists to exercise their mandate of disseminating the fact, actual, realistic and accurate information to the general public in the state.
