Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogari
ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
WikkiTimes, an online news blog, has insisted that the story it wrote alleging that the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara connived with the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) to “squander” N1 billion school renovation money is true and factual.
This was in reaction to the three days ultimatum issued by Dogara through his lawyers to the news blog to retract its story and write an apology or risk legal action.
NATIONAL ACCORD had reported that Dogara, who represents Dass/Tafawa Balewa/Bogoro Federal Constituency of Bauchi State, had, in a letter addressed to the Publishers of WikkiTimes Media and Publishing Limited, dated July 2nd, 2021, signed by his lawyers, Barristers Ahmed Accanny and S. N. Yusuf, from Baushe Chambers Bauchi, described the story published on June 28, 2021, as false and aimed at defaming him.
They therefore, demanded for a immediate retraction of the “defamatory and libelous” story and written apology within three days from the date of the receipt of the letter by the online blog and failure to do so, “we shall proceed to seek legal redress against you before a competent court of law in the course of which we shall claim substantial damages against you.”
But the Publisher of the online blog, Haruna Salisu, insisted that the story was true and is ready to meet Dogara in Court.
He stated this in a statement made available to journalists in Bauchi late Sunday night, titled: “WikkiTimes Stands by its Story on Dogara, UBEC Mismanagement of Constituency Projects.”
According to him, the “story detailing how the former speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara and the Universal Basic Education Commission squandered N1 billion school projects is true, accurate and credible.”
He said the investigation revealed how N1 billion constituency projects nominated by the former Speaker to build model schools in Bauchi South Federal Constituency was mismanaged.
“We have come across viral publications suggesting that WikkiTimes had published a ‘libellous’ report against the former Speaker. Although we have not been officially served any letter by any law chamber, I feel we need to put the records straight.
“It’s within his prerogative to go court if he feels our story is a misrepresentation of facts.
“But let me also reiterate that before our story was published, we contacted Yakubu Dogara and gave him enough time to respond but he ignored numerous calls and text.”
“The report is factual, credible and accurate. We stand by our story.”
He said that WikkiTimes, would not retract the story “because it is indeed very laughable for a credible medium such as WikkiTimes to retract a painstaking investigation backed by facts.”
Salisu said: “We know that Dogara nominated the N1 billion school projects and there is open and available evidence in the public domain that can justify this for any reasonable person to see.
“We equally know that it was based on Mr. Dogara’s consent that the contracts were awarded. Therefore, he ought to supervise the projects and ensure they were diligently executed.
“He cannot cry wolf when it’s apparent that he has categorically failed to do his work. Our story remains, and we will be happy to meet Mr. Dogara in court.”