NSA: Kogi NUJ declares alleged interview with commissioner fake news

**Urges Politicians to “Leave Us Out Of Your Fake News Political Propaganda”

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

Kogi State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has cautioned opposition political figures in the State against dragging Journalists into their political propaganda against Kogi State Government.

Chairman of Kogi Council of NUJ Alhaji Seidu Ademu made the call on Wednesday against the backdrop of a fake news making the rounds that the State commissioner for information, Kingsley Fanwo allegedly called for the sack of National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

Ademu who urged politicians to play politics responsibly said that the alleged call, according to the purveyors of the fake news, was made by the Commissioner while addressing journalists in Lokoja.

He described the allegation and embarrassing saying that the motive of the fabricators of the fake news was apparently to cause disaffection between the State Government and the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Ademu said there was no press conference, or interview granted to any journalists or journalists in the state by the Honourable Commissioner in Lokoja or any anywhere in Kogi State.

“Even if it was a press statement, journalists in Kogi State who should be the first recipients, are aware of the channels of distribution of such and nothing close to this fake news was circulated,” he said.

The Chairman therefore challenged the purveyors of the fake news to provide evidence of the publication of the said report by any news channel operating from Kogi State.

“It is necessary to warn politicians who want to malign their political opponents for whatever reasons to stop dragging Journalists into it.

“The fabricators of the make-believe story are oblivious of the strong synergy between the state government and the office of the NSA which led to the release of the kidnapped students of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara.

“Kogi State Government thereafter, issued a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, eulogized the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

“The missive was full of thanks and appreciation to the Mallam Ribadu for his roles in the release of the kidnapped students and other security interventions he midwived in the state soon after the students were released” he said.

Ademu held that while the NUJ as a body of Media Professionals would not speak for the State Government, it was its responsibility to clarify the issue to the general public.

“That the Kogi Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, did not hold any interactive session with Journalists on the subject matter of the fake news at anytime anywhere”. (Ends)