Bala-Usman Threatens To Drag Sahara Reporters To Court Over Defamation

The suspended Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman has threatened to take legal action against Sahara Reporters if it continues to publish articles that defame her.

Usman lamented that there is always a limit to which she could endure the needless perpetuation of falsehood against her by the media outfit, saying “I will take legal action against Sahara Reporters if it continues in this manner.”

Bala-Usman made this known yesterday via a statement titled; “On Sahara Reporters’ Campaign of Calumny” signed by herself.

Part of the statement read; “It must be obvious to all Nigerians of good conscience that Sahara Reporters is sworn to a ceaseless campaign of calumny against my person. Over the past two weeks, the publication has continued to spread false and rehashed stories directed at maligning my personality and casting aspersions on my reputation and service to the nation. This, they do in total disregard of all rebuttals, which would have been needless but for the need to maintain my personal integrity and that of my family.”

On Thursday May 20, 2021, Sahara Reporters published a story with the headline: “Budget report indicts ex-NPA boss, Usman shows unapproved N831million spent on hotels in 2016,2017.” Usman described the story as showing the relentless war that the publication is waging against her for reasons best known to the media company.

“The fact is that the NPA has its audited financial statements for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018. These statements have the authentic figures of the Authority’s expenditure over those years. However, rather than seek the authentic statements, Sahara Reporters have depended on snapshots of documents that are unauthenticated, apparently because they fit the already concocted and devious narratives that they love to sell to the public,” the report said.

She also lamented that Sahara Reporters Television released the video of a building with the title, “Alleged Zaria edifice built by Hadiza Bala Usman while in office as Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority,” asserting that this story is total falsehood, and a pathetic reflection of what Sahara Reporters has become.

“I challenge the publication to produce any document that links me with this building. More importantly, it is time to serve notice on Sahara Reporters and its cohorts to desist from publishing unfounded stories targeted at tarnishing my image. I have chosen to maintain a calm mien to this consistent falsehood, conscious of the demand of accountability, which national service places on me,” she added.