The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) secretariat has replied it’s former Director, Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo’s petition to the chairman of the forum and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, alleging damning financial impropriety against the Director General, Asishana Okauru.
In a statement issued in the early hours of Monday (12.30am) and signed by the Director, Legal, Chijioke Chuku for the management of the forum, the organisation described the allegations as inflammatory, misguided and character assassination, disclosing that Bello-Barkindo resigned his appointment with the Forum on the 7th of December, 2023 and the resignation has been duly accepted by the Forum.
The statement said there is no crisis whatsoever rocking the NGF or its Secretariat as claimed by its erstwhile director of media and publicity affairs and reported by some media outlets.
In the press release titled: “NIGERIA GOVERNORS’ FORUM (NGF) SECRETARIAT RESPONSE TO BASELESS ALLEGATIONS BY THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF MEDIA AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, NGF, MR. ABDULRAZAQUE BELLO BARKINDO”, the secretariat said it has referred the supposed “breaking news” to its lawyers for their advice and necessary action on the defamatory nature and contents of the publications.
The statement further noted that the police, according to one of the media outlets that published the allegations by Bello-Barkindo, was already investigating the matter and that as a law-abiding organisation, it will “co-operate fully with the Police in their investigation and ensure the prosecution of any individual that is behind this unwarranted attack.”
