The Nigerian Presidency has issued a statement on a recent revelation by Sahara Reporters founder, Omoyele Sowore on his meeting with the late Isa Funtua while he was in a DSS detention facility.
Sowore, on Tuesday, disclosed that he ‘clashed’ with Funtua during a reconciliatory meeting which had Nduka Obaigbena, Vanguard Publisher, Sam Amuka and Garba Shehu. Below is a statement sent to POLITICS NIGERIA signed by Shehu;
“Let’s get the facts straight on the meeting with Sowore in SSS detention. First, it is important to state that the meeting was not instructed by the government. Nobody sent anybody to go and “negotiate” Sowore’s freedom as he put it. The late Malam Isma’ila, on his own, called me to ask that I broker a meeting with him and two others with the SSS, which they agreed to. It is important that I state that it was the force of Malam Isma’ila’s argument that made the meeting possible.”
“Vanguard Newspapers publisher, Sam Amuka and ThisDay Publisher and President, Nigerian Press Organisation, Nduka Obaigbena, all agreed that Sowore was a “rascal”, who had used his newspaper “to abuse all of us,” but agreed, nonetheless to go and press for his release.”
“As the late Isma’ila put it, although he (Sowore) got into his problems due politics, not journalism the fact of him being a publisher imposed a duty on the media leaders to seek ways of making him free. The meeting ended well, and contrary to the posturing by Sowore, he said he was happy with a resolution proposed but that his lawyer, whoever that was, needed to come on board. The fence-mending process apparently collapsed after the meeting of the trio with the lawyer in Lagos.”
“I don’t know what Sowore wants to achieve by distorting the facts of what transpired, but my advice to him is that he should stop his attacks on a dead, well-meaning intercessor. Knowing the way the secret service works, it should surprise no one if they keep a recording of that meeting. Faced with this posturing and the unfair attacks on the dead, we certainly will be forced to ask for the release of tapes, in case they are available for the public to judge.”
With pen alone and you can’t wins Nigerians heart by creating falsehood in every issues but merely gently and easily you can achieve it . So ! Sawore takes it easy and don’t rush things .
“The way the Secret Service works…” , Garba Shehu. What secret service is he talking about? The Fulani oppressive secret service.? The only way to be sure this worthless government goes to a bottomless pit is to post all the ethnic cleansings going on in Central Nigeria on YouTube and to call for sanctions on the rogue regime. There should be a boycott of buying anything from Nigeria. Total sanctions against the Nigeria government is the only way out.
He was talking about the intelligence work of the state security service at recording conversation
You are very correct
I can hardly believe whatever comes out of Shehu’s mouth. He is Lai’s junior brother.
A lot of people have said so many good things about this “dead” man in different media houses and if someone has a contrary view why are you so pain, or are you paid to speak for the “dead”?