By Ehi Ekhator
A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has warned the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi to retract his allegation within 14 days or be ready to pay for defamation.
Amaechi while answering questions on Channels TV, had alleged that Fani-kayode took N2bn payed to the Ministry of Aviation bank account, which was meant to repair Port Harcourt airport in 2007.
Fani-Kayode, through his lawyer, Barr. Wale Balogun, Esq, has written to Amaechi to retract his statement and apologise publicly for the intentional smearing of his hard earned image.
The former Minister explained that the said project was executed within 7 months and was commissioned by the former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, contrary to Amaechi’s claims.
The PDP Stewart also said that Messrs Julius Berger Nigeria Plc. was contracted for the Asphalt Resurfacing of the said Port Harcourt Airport Runway.
In the letter written to Amaechi, it reads ” It has come to our notice that you granted an interview with Chanels Tv on Thursday the 27th of April 2017. In that infamous interview which was broadcast throughout Nigeria and the United Kingdom, including postings and references to same in a myriad of social media platforms, you made some spurious remarks and allegations against our client, with respect to the role he played while serving as Minister of Aviation in 2007. You particularly alleged that our client failed to repair the Port Harcourt Airport Runway, but “he ran away” with the sum of Two Billion Naira which was transferred for that purpose to the Ministry of Aviation, by the Rivers State Government; under the administration of the erstwhile Governor Peter Odili.
“In addition to the above, by an emphatic and hysterical outburst, you unwittingly reiterated this obnoxious remark, despite an intervention by the moderator to guide you into caution, a tailored comment and an adjustment of the unguarded utterances. Apart from the fact that there is no modicum of truth in the wild and unsubstantiated remarks, it is on a verifiable record that Messrs Julius Berger Nigeria plc. was contracted for the Asphalt Resurfacing of the said Port Harcourt Airport Runway. Beyond that, the project was concluded within 7 months of our Client’s occupation of the office as Minister of Aviation, and the completion exercise was commissioned by Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. All these pieces of information are in the public domain and overtly to your knowledge.
“For malicious and malevolent reasons, you however elected to misrepresent our client in the public glare, by deliberately infusing false, dishonest and untrue comments about him into the minds of right thinking members of the society. More worrisome is the fact that you were conscious of this falsehood, in consequence of which you systematically and intentionally failed to admit yourself to caution, but resolved to pollute the media stream for unsuspecting persons to drink of this fabrications, which was actuated by bad faith, reprisal and dishonourable intentions. Without mincing words, you have disparaged our client by your remarks, in the eyes of right thinking members of the society; and these remarks have been found to be false and slanderous of him.
“Our brief is to intimate you of this grievous character breach on the person of our client and his hard earned reputation.
Our client has not only suffered the loss of good will but has now been subjected to opprobrium by his fans, followers and business associates. Being conscious of his rights, both in law and equity, our client is minded to afford you an opportunity to undo the evil you have done, by retracting the said insalubrious remarks on the same Channels TV, and apologising to him both on Channels Tv and two other National Dailies. You are also advised to enter into negotiation with us for the sum of Five Billion Naira, being a token amount for penitence, as opposed to the magnitude of infraction caused to our client’s nobility.
It is imperative to bearing mind that you have 14 days from receipt of this letter to comply with the mitigating measures, the failure of which will leave our client with no preferred alternative than to seek redress in court. The said redress which shall also include a claim that you are unfit to continue to hold the office of Minister of Transportation, because your defamatory and slanderous remarks were borne out of an inept appreciation of basic working and operations of the Aviation Sector.
