N1.3Bn SMEDAN Contract Allegation: CSOs Carpet Media House, Others

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Civil Society organisations (CSOs) under the auspices of the Civil Society Groups for Good Governance have lambasted the a media organisation and other collaborators over allegation of corruption against the against the Director General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda.

The CSOs in a statement signed by Signed by Comrade Olorunfemi Edwin, the Director of Programs, made their position known an allegations of disbursement of N1.3 Billion to unverified contractors by the SMEDAN DG, and the Management by a the media house, Capital Post and other auxcillary media.

The CSOs implored Capital Post to ensure that “they take advantage of the Freedom of Information Act and make all necessary inquiries to avoid misleading Nigerians and the general public”.

Their full statement reads:

Our attention has been drawn to the media propaganda coming from an online media platform named Capital Post against the Director General of SMEDAN Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda bothering on misleading allegation of corruption.

While as a group we support citizen actions against corruption especially under this administration, we find it extremely worrisome that certain individuals have made it an avenue for malicious publication and witch hunting exercise.

More worrisome is the fact that it is obvious that those responsible for the publication against the management of SMEDAN appear ignorant of the modus operandi of government operations and therefore delve into realms that question their integrity on matters that bothers on government spending.

For the records, this is not only an attack on SMEDAN but the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as no sane government with all the instrumentality for ensuring due process and diligence will carelessly make public funds available to contractors without proper verification.

We find the report curious and unpatriotic as no efforts were made to balance the narrative as our organisation along with the antigraft agencies have launch an independent Inquiry on the said matter and our findings reveal that the contractors were duly procured and all projects executed according to the terms of engagement before payment.

Consequently, we implore Capital Post to ensure that they take advantage of the Freedom of Information Act and make all necessary inquiries to avoid misleading Nigerians and the general public, therefore protecting the pristine role of the media in fighting corruption and promoting good governance as a stitch in time saves nine.

Signed by Comrade Olorunfemi Edwin
Director of Programs, Civil Society Groups for Good Governance.

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