The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has said there is no crisis at the forum’s secretariat as alleged by its former director of Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello Barkindo, and published in a national daily.
The NGF legal director, Chijioke Chuku who disclosed this in a statement also dismissed allegations of corruption at the forum’s secretariat by Barkindo.
Barkindo had in a leaked letter to the NGF chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, said the NGF is now more transactional than developmental and its accounts had not been audited for 10 years or more.
Chuku said the forum’s former spokesperson had resigned his appointment on 7 December, adding that anyone dealing with him on account of his employment at the NGF does so at his/her own risk.
He said the publication has been referred to NGF lawyers for their advice and necessary action on the defamatory nature and its contents.
“Our attention has been drawn to various social media posts and especially online publications, most recently in The Daily Trust online platform regarding certain inflammatory and misguided allegations and character assassination purportedly issued by our erstwhile Director of Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazaque Bello Barkindo.
“Though this supposed “breaking news” has been referred to our lawyers for their advice and necessary action on the defamatory nature and contents of the publications, we believe that we owe the general public a responsibility to put the record straight in order to take the wind out of the sail of media sensationalism occasioned by the resignation of the erstwhile director of Media and Public Affairs, Mr Abdulrazaque Bello Barkindo, who resigned his appointment with The Forum on the 7th of December, 2023 and whose resignation has been duly accepted by the Forum.
“We assure the public, all our development partners and friends that there is no crisis whatsoever rocking the NGF or its Secretariat.
“According to the publication, the reckless allegations made in the publication and credited to Mr Barkindo are already being investigated by the Police and also a subject matter of a suit pending before a court of law, hence as a law-abiding organisation, we shall cooperate fully with the Police in their investigation and ensure the prosecution of any individual that is behind this unwarranted attack.
“We want to assure our concerned friends and development partners who have been waiting anxiously for our comments, that there is no substance whatsoever in the allegations contained in the publication and that our refrain from joining issues is a result of the need not to do or engage in any activity that may interfere with or prejudice the ongoing investigation and court action instituted by Mr Barkindo.
“We also want to use this medium to appeal to all well-meaning Media houses not to allow their platform to be used by disgruntled elements in the dissemination of falsehood as we shall not shy away from vigorously defending our reputation and goodwill.
“We wish to reiterate that Mr. Abdulrazaque Bello Barkindo is no longer an employee of the NGF.
Anyone dealing with him on account of his employment at the NGF does so at his/her own risk,” the statement read.
