Connect with us

Metro

Publishers at war: Leadership accuses Daily Trust of betrayal

Published

on

There seems to be no end in sight in the crisis that is plaguing the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) over the momey that was said to have been collected by its leadership from the office of the National Security Adviser as compensation for copies of its members’ seized by soldiers under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

The management of the Leadership titles in a statement accused the Daily Trust newspapers of acting contrary to what was agreed upon by returning its (Trust’s) share of the money.

The company in a letter titled “Compensation for illegal seizure of newspapers”, signed by the Group Managing Director of Leadership Newspapers Group Limited, Mike Okpere, said, it felt betrayed by its contemporary’s action.

The paper said, “We enclose herewith a Zenith Bank draft no 08549695 for the sum of N9,000,000.00 (Nine million Naira only) being refund of the compensation paid by the Goodluck Jonathan government for the crude and illegal seizure of our newspapers over a period of 5 days by soldiers from the 6th of June to the 10th of June 2014 through the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).

“It will be recalled that this was the sum paid to all newspapers which incurred losses as a result of the act which was arrived at when President Jonathan pleaded for an out of court settlement. It has come to our notice that the chairman of Daily Trust, Malam Kabiru Yusuf who was acting president of NPAN/chairman of the meeting held at Mr. Sam Amuka’s guest house in Lagos in December 2015 where it was agreed, after a detailed analysis of the situation that NPAN and the newspapers committed no offence by the out of court settlement and therefore had no reason to refund the compensation, has gone behind the association’s back and directed the Daily Trust to refund money.‎

Read also: Dasukigate: EFCC operative in ‘soup’ over N45m bribe

“After such a dishonourable act by the one person under whose direction members of the association all agreed that
there would be no need to refund the money, it is our view that it is no longer tenable not to refund. This is particularly more discomforting when it is recalled that the decision to agree to the out of court settlement and compensation was taken at the Abuja office of Daily Trust with Kabiru Yusuf in attendance.

“It is for this reason that we are refunding the N9 million. But we will like to maintain the general position that neither the NPAN nor newspaper committed any offence. Our chairman has also made it clear that he does not see any situation where LEADERSHIP will be part of any group that will take the current government to court. Therefore we should be counted out of any future decision to seek redress in court on this same matter. After all it is not the government that asked us to refund, it is the treachery of some of our members. Kindly be advised accordingly.”

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now