- Safiu Kehinde
Nigerian media outlet, Premium Times, has announced plan to sue Robert Ngwu, spokesperson for former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over his false bribery allegation against the newspaper.
This was made known by the newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief and the Chief Operating Officer, Musikilu Mojeed, while speaking on Channels TV Politics Today programme on Tuesday.
Ngwu had earlier on Channels TV accused Premium Times of receiving a N100 million bribe from the Enugu State Government to pursue the investigative reporting exposing Nnaji’s certificate forgery scandal.
NPO Reported that Premium Times on Saturday published its two-year investigative report revealing that Mr Nnaji forged his bachelor’s degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificates with which he secured his ministerial appointment in 2023.
While Ngwu had in a Press Conference debunked the allegations against his principal, he would go on the describe the investigation as politically motivated with Premium Times being allegedly bankrolled.
However, Nnaji would on Tuesday evening tendered his resignation letter to President Bola Tinubu which had since strengthened convictions on the authenticity of Premium Times investigation.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday evening, the newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief refuted Ngwu’s unfounded bribery claim.
“We are not a newspaper that anyone can malign. We have built our integrity for close to 15 years. We have done major investigative stories, and no one has ever accused us of bribery,
“Our practice is built solely on integrity. Not even a Robert Ngwu or Uche Nnaji can destroy that.” Mojeed said.
He vowed that Ngwu’s defamatory remarks would not go unchallenged, disclosing that the newspaper’s lawyers had started reviewing Mr Ngwu’s comments and would have him compelled to prove his claims in court.
“He will have to present evidence of how the money was given and received,” Mr Mojeed stated.
Recalling Ngwu’s interview on Channels TV where he accused the newspaper of bribery, Premium Times reported that the ex-Minister’s spokesperson ended up admitting that he had no proof yet to back his allegation.
“PREMIUM TIMES was allegedly paid N100 million to start this process,” the spokesperson said while fielding questions from the anchors.
“By who?” Kayode Okikiolu, one of the programme anchors, asked him.
“This is a big allegation, Mr. Ngwu. Who paid and do you have proof?” the anchor asked again.
Mr Ngwu tried to evade the question by stressing “allegedly paid,” before promising to speak on that later.
When pressed, he claimed: They (PREMIUM TIMES) were allegedly paid by the state government of Enugu State. That’s the person behind the mask.”
Mr Okikiolu, for the umpteenth time, asked Mr Ngwu to show proof of his allegation but the aide claimed the proof would be given later and then asked the Enugu State Government to defend itself.
Another anchor, Bukola Coker, further pressed the minister’s aide to give proof of his allegations.