The senate president of Nigeria, 8th National Assembly Dr Bukola Saraki, has slam popular online news portal Sahara Reporters for reporting false report of him influencing Hon. Justice Alfa Modibo Belgore (Rtd) to compromise judges on the panel of the Court of Appeal hearing Saraki’s appeal concerning his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal with the view of influencing their decision in favour of Dr. Bukola Saraki.
The emanated senate president Bukola Saraki , speaking through his special adviser on media and publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, denied report by online news platform Sahara Reporters, involving in transactions, discussions and actions aimed at destroying the judiciary or muffling the voice of justice. Saraki described Justice Belgore as a honourable jurist, incorruptible judge and a man of integrity.
Saraki further added that he will continue to “alert members of the public to the antics and poor taste of the Sahara Reporters and its handlers and sponsors. This medium is nothing but a purveyor of lies, falsehood and represents the greatest dreg of the professional genre it pretends to represent.”
Read The Full Statement Below
Lies, if repeatedly told without a rebuttal, would be assumed to be true. It is for this reason that once again, we found it necessary to refute one of the malicious and false stories emanating from Sahara Reporters, an online newspaper.
As it is constant with the online newspaper in its calculated attempt to always malign and bring to disrepute, on all issues and at all times, the Senate President, Dr. Abubukar Bukola Saraki, Sahara Reporters on Monday, October 19, 2015, maliciously and falsely wrote that the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Alfa Modibo Belgore (Rtd) was engaged by the Senate President to compromise judges on the panel of the Court of Appeal hearing his appeal concerning his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, with the view to influencing their decision in favour of Dr. Saraki.
This malicious report by the Sahara Reporters is part of the desperation of the online newspaper to always drag the person of the Senate President in the mud where the owners and sponsors of the medium naturally dwell.
Apart from the fact that Dr. Saraki will not get involved in transactions, discussions and actions aimed at destroying the judiciary or muffling the voice of justice, those who know the relationship between the duo, know that the former Chief Justice of Nigeria is not the type that will put his hard-earned reputation in jeopardy by getting involved in any attempt to subvert the cause of Justice.
Justice Belgore is known generally as a honourable jurist, incorruptible judge and a man of integrity. He is known to be an apostle of due process and would never stoop low as to rubbish his hard earned reputation, his integrity or that of the court. The mention of his name in this manner and in connection with this case reflects the limitless desperation by Sahara reporters in their bid to pull down the Senate President.
This medium do not care if in the process of accomplishing its devious objectives, it rubbishes the name and hard-earned integrity of an eminent jurist as well as the institution of the judiciary.
It is pertinent to alert members of the public to this dangerous trend of blackmail of judges and the judiciary using the media. The same Sahara Reporters was the one that made spurious allegations which led to a judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja withdrawing from a case filed by Dr. Saraki . This ugly development deserves that both the judiciary and legislature take a look at this issue and move swiftly to address it.
We will continue to alert members of the public to the antics and poor taste of the Sahara Reporters and its handlers and sponsors. This medium is nothing but a purveyor of lies, falsehood and represents the greatest dreg of the professional genre it pretends to represent.
Signed:
Yusuph Olaniyonu