Former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, says he never at any point accused Governor Nasir el-Rufai, of being responsible for the banditry and killings in Kaduna State.
Oshiomhole, in a statement, titled “Fake News Alert”, and released Friday night, noted that a report by an unnamed “obscure online media”, misrepresented the speech he delivered at the 2nd Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) National Peace and Security Summit, held in Abuja on Thursday April 29, 2021.
Rather, the former governor of Edo state, said fhs worsening security situation in the country is partly due to the massive closure of factories over the years by successive governments.
“My attention has been drawn to a news report by an obscure online media, captioned “ElRufai Responsible for Banditry, Killings in Kaduna State NLC Oshiomhole,” he said.
“In the body of the report, the writer maliciously misrepresented the speech delivered by me at the 2nd Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) National Peace and Security Summit, held in Abuja on Thursday April 29, 2021.
“As rightly reported by all the mainstream national newspapers and television networks that gave media coverage at the event, I blamed the worsening security situation in the country partly on the massive closure of factories over the years by successive governments.
“Specifically, I mentioned the closure of textile factories in Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos; the closure of Dunlop, Michelin Tyre factories and Bata, Lemards Shoe factories. I opined that closure of factories in Kaduna alone affected over 35,000 workers and possibly the same number in Kano.
“At no time during the entire speech did I make reference to Gov. Nasir El-Rufai or the retrenchment of civil servants by the Kaduna state government.
“There was no consonance of opinion in the position I advocated as being responsible for the heightened security challenges in Nigeria today and that of the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Fhilibus Wabba, as can be clearly deduced from the accurate reports of the newspaper correspondents and electronic media personnel that were present [at] the summit.
“I therefore call on the general public to disregard attempt by some online platforms to attribute to me statements and positions I do not promote.”
