From Umar Danladi Ado, Sokoto
Sokoto State Government says all efforts by its opponents to pull Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s administration down have so far failed and will continue to fail.
The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Alhaji Sambo Bello Danchadi stated this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Sokoto.
“Our attention has been drawn to a statement issued by the PDP Spokesperson Hassan Sahabi Sanyinnawal recently.
“While it is easy to understand the frustration of our political opponents, the PDP and their desperation are trying to rubbish and deny the undeniable achievements of the Ahmed Aliyu administration.
“We must hasten to call on the professionals among them to caution greyhounds in their ranks, to obey limits of decorum and good judgment.
“It is easy for people who want cheap popularity to play at the gallery.
The video, being circulated on social media, was actually taken on the day Governorship Election Results were formally announced late at night, and Media operatives were struggling to record the winner’s acceptance speech while being told to calm down.
“The question is why did the individual choose to play the initial hitches and not the actual speech given by the Governor?
“Every right-thinking person can deduce that this is a hatchet job intended to malign the personality of His Excellency the Executive Governor.
“The hatchet job has surely failed because the world has acknowledged the sterling achievements of Governor Ahmed Aliyu in all fields of human endeavour,”the statement read.
According to him, as a tradition, Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto does not celebrate birthdays; neither the Governor nor members of his family regard birthdays as periods of celebration but rather periods of reflections and prayers.
The video being circulated where the Wife of the governor was purported to be spraying cash was an old video predating Ahmed Aliyu’s governorship.
Therefore the purported video should have been properly verified before publication.
Indeed, there is an established tradition in journalism known as the golden rule: “When in doubt, leave out.”
We should not forget that both Slander and Libel are punishable offences in our statute books.
To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
