Special Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State on Media and Public and Affairs, Prince Kassim Afegbua, has disassociated himself from a statement credited to him speaking for former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida.
In a statement yesterday, entitled: Of Statement Credited to me and Other Matters, Afegbua said he never issued any release on behalf of Babangida, as published by an online publication, Global Village Extra.
He stated that since he joined Governor Oshiomhole, he ceased to be Babangida’s spokesman and therefore, did not issue any statement on his behalf.
He said: “I wish to state unequivocally that I am currently working in Edo State as a special adviser to the Governor Oshiomhole on Media and Public Affairs, a position which was expressly endorsed by my boss-for-life General Babangida. Let me also state without mincing words that I did not issue the said statement that is flying around the social media on behalf of Babangida. Let me also declare with all the emphasis at my disposal that General Babangida did not authorise anyone to issue any statement on his behalf, let alone crediting the same odious statement to me, Prince Kassim Afegbua.”
Afegbua stated that even though Babangida had not officially appointed a media spokesman since he left, “my acceptance of the offer of special adviser by my governor automatically removes me from being General Babangida’s spokesman, a position I so cherished and a personality I so admire. It is therefore, bad journalism for one obscure, good-for-nothing, unprofessional platform, such as the Global Villa Extra, to fabricate a statement and credit the same to me, not only to mislead the public but cause disaffection among the personalities involved.”
Recalling his effort to reach Global Village Extra, Afegbua said: “When I called the local mobile telephone number of the online publication: 08165076156, no one answered my several calls. In fact, the receiver from the other end was cutting my calls. When I called the international number, 00912407041545, a receiver from the other end who refused to disclose his name, expressed shock at my declaration.
“He did promise to instruct his co-conspirators to remove the tissue of concocted lies from their site. As at the time of writing this rebuttal, he has not done so.”