Tribune newspapers release statement denying claims it received N10m compensation from Nduka Obaigbena | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Saturday 12 December 2015

Tribune newspapers release statement denying claims it received N10m compensation from Nduka Obaigbena

The African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles, has denied receiving N10 million through the publisher of Thisday newspapers, Nduka Obaigbena, as compensation for attacks on its operations and personnel by soldiers in June 2014.



Nduka Obaigbena in a letter he sent to EFCC on December 9th, had alleged that the media house was one of the companies he in his capacity as the Chairman of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), gave N10 million as compensation received from the former administration after the military confiscated their dailies in June last year.

A statement signed by Tribune's Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Mr Edward Dickson, reads
“Our attention has been drawn to claims by the Publisher of Thisday newspapers, who is also the President of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, that a sum of N10 million was paid to our company through NPAN by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) as compensation for the disruption of our circulation operations, seizure of our newspapers and damage to our property by soldiers in June 2014. “Although, like other NPAN members, we filed claims as requested for by NPAN, the fact of the matter is that up till this moment, 11th December, 2015, our company is yet to receive a kobo as compensation through NPAN for the 2014 disruptive activities of the military to our operations.”
This is the alleged letter Obaigbena sent to the EFCC and story below...
Chairman of Thisday newspaper, Nduka Obaigbena, has written a letter to EFCC officials, stating that he collected N550 million from the former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki as compensation for the Boko Haram suicide attacks on his Abuja office. Obaigbena has been indicted in the ongoing $2.1 billion arms deal scandal. In the letter he signed and dated December 9th, Oaigbena acknowledged he received N120m from Dasuki which he distributed to some newspaper house as compensation for the confiscation of their newspapers by the Army in Junelast year. Read the letter he sent to EFCC after the cut


The Executive Chairman, The Economic & Financial Crimes C omission, 5, Fomella Street, Wuse 11, Abuja, Nigeria. Attention: OLAOLU ADEGBITE, MFR. RE: LETTER OF INVITATION. Please refer to your letter of invitation dated 8th November 2015, which was received in our Abuja Office on the 8th of December 2015. I am currently in the United States of America on my way back to Nigeria to honour your invitation, but I feel it necessary to make the following statements prior to my arrival in Nigeria: 

1. We have never received any suspicious funds from the Office of the National Security Adviser. ALL funds received from the Office of the National Security Adviser were PAYMENTS for COMPENSATION to MITIGATE the following: 

1.1. N150,000,000 + N150,000,000 and N250,000,000 respectively received in August, November and February 2014 as compensation to mitigate the dastardly Boko Haram twin bombings of the THISDAY NEWSPAPERS offices in Abuja and Kaduna on Thursday April 26, 2012, during which 4 innocent Nigerian lives were lost, our buildings destroyed and we lost full colour Goss printing towers and three (3) pre-press Computer-To-Plate and anxiliary equipments and other (in)valuable property valued at over N2.5 BILLION. This is aside from daily costs to pay 3rd party printers of over N1 Billion having lost our printing facility to terrorist due to inadequate protection by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The bombing of THISDAY offices followed the Abuja United Nations Building bombing for which the Federal Government has so far spent N3 Billion for reconstruction and much more earmarked for furnishing; 

1.2. N100,000,000 and N20,000,000 received in March 2015 for The Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and 12 newspapers who demanded compensation for the brutal and unlawful seizure of newspapers and stoppage of circulation by armed soldiers in Abuja and several cities. As President of the NPAN, it was my duty to lead media leaders to hold discussions with President Goodluck Jonathan to avert a class action lawsuit against the Armed Forces and the Federal Government of Nigeria. 2. On both occasions, President Jonathan said he did not wish to lay precedence and in our case, he specifically said there were many victims of Boko Haram. I had to confront President Jonathan on the issue when I learnt of approvals for the reconstruction of the Abuja United Nations Building, since we were the second major organisation to be attacked by Boko Haram after the UN attack. He therefore directed me to meet the National Security Adviser who processed the 3 payments in question. 

Please find attached a copy of our letter to President Jonathan as well as correspondence with the then NSA on the Newspapers’ payment. I will be making my way to Nigeria to meet with you should you require further information. Thank you. 

Nduka Obaigbena 
Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, THISDAY NEWSPAPERS GROUP.

29 comments:

Unknown said...

Drama

Unknown said...

You'll never believe or accept the fact that u recieved money bcos efcc is involved...End time liars

NaijaDeltaBabe said...

Lobatan!

edDREAMZ said...

a.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said...
.
This people don tire me abeg...
.
.
***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***

Tina(@libblogqueen) said...

See money,,!! And I just dey here dey find 500k to boost my business, God help me ooo.

Comment frm ROYAL PRIESTHOOD (royalpriesthood007@gmail.com) said...

Gbam!

D NSA didn't giv money for dis but gav PDP money for election's. Wht a shame!

Comment frm ROYAL PRIESTHOOD (royalpriesthood007@gmail.com)

Unknown said...

Nna na wa o! Everybody dey denial mood nowadays. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

Nna na wa o! Everybody dey denial mood nowadays. Linda take note!

Anonymous said...

So NSA don turn to insurance company. This guy think we are all daft. Bring your ass back home
cos jail await you.


known annonymous

Unknown said...

No wonder he was romancing the former fake President, Wo you are OYO. Your sheep have eaten with Dogs, you must chop sheet.

Anonymous said...

Hehehe! This guy again that doesn't pay models till they cry out. Fake ! Always inviting different presidents and public figures for awards! okay come back from Yankee and collect your own award from EFCC oooo !

Anonymous said...

Nduka is a liar. Too many baby mamas, children, mistresses and girlfriends to feed .

Unknown said...

End time denial!

Abeg make I copy Aproko manager small.

Sincerely speaking the mind of Amadioha

tjay'TEE Bello said...

Hmn

Olu said...

The level of Corruption in Nigeria crazy. No wonder the lopsided reporting by Thisday during the election campaign. God don dey catch una small small. Simeon Kolawole too was bias in his column during this period.

Olu said...

The level of Corruption in Nigeria crazy. No wonder the lopsided reporting by Thisday during the election campaign. God don dey catch una small small. Simeon Kolawole too was bias in his column during this period.

D. Bentley said...

Linda we think say you no go report this.

Anonymous said...

The amount of money we re hearing is really mind-boggling. The scary thing is that these crooks re not denying collecting the money rather they re telling cock and bull stories as to how they used the money! If This is from the National security advisers office alone, then mama pieces (patience jonathan) own loot will make Dangote's money look like lunch money. Nd this money was stolen in less than six years! This is money that makes people rate amongst the richest in world!! It is still this same Nduka ogbiabena that could not pay his this day staff salaries. The same Raymond dokpesi that could not pay DAAR Communication staff salaries. Hell is really empty, all the Devils re here in Nigeria masquerading themselves as politicians, contractors nd business men. God dey... Chike

Unknown said...

Buhari is trying his best not to involve GEJ into this mess but all the accusations points towards him bcoz there's no way NSA will release without d knowledge of the president

Unknown said...

Better not be lying...

Unknown said...

Patiently awaiting the looters' list
~D great anonymous!

Victor Emeka Isaac said...

Lies everywhere






Also Check Vabadon's Blog

Unknown said...

Hahahahaha.....everyone is denying now. Issorrai, I don't expect anything less though.

















#TeamBlessed#

Anonymous said...

Who do we believe? Breeze don blow, fowl yansh don open... Abeg follow me enjoy sports news here

Unknown said...

Buhari...President of propaganda and backwardness!!!

Jasmine Joseph said...

Lie lie people

Unknown said...

WORD!!!

Unknown said...

Daz dia cup of kunu
Weda dem receive or not
Not my damn business mehnnnn
De drama shld kontinu





# oneandonlynwa@gmail.com#
# oneandonlynwa@gmail.com#

TheRealAkon said...

Read Nduka's letter again- he said it was Ex- President Jonathan who sent him to NSA to get paid compensation. Invariably, Jonathan is involved.Patience Jonathan is another culprit. Look at the state of Nigeria today yet these crooks just dey chop life like there's no tomorrow.

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