Armsgate: LEADERSHIP refunds N9m to NPAN

LEADERSHIP Newspaper has returned the N9 million it collected from the office of the national security adviser as compensation for the seizure of its newspapers and stoppage of circulation in June 2014.

In a letter dated January 29th, addressed to the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the newspaper explained that it can no longer hold unto the money since an agreement reached to consider it as compensation for the disruption of its operations, had been breached.

The letter signed by Mike Okpere, the newspaper’s group managing director, said the LEADERSHIP did not commit any offence since the decision to collect the money was reached after former President Goodluck Jonathan reached for out of court settlement with the affected newspapers.

“We refer to the above subject matter and enclose herewith a Zenith Bank draft no.08549695 for the sum of N9, 000, 000.00 (Nine Million Naira only) being refund of the compensation paid by the Goodluck Jonathan government for the crude and illegal seizure of our newspapers over a period of 5 days by soldiers from the 6th of June to the 10th of June, 2014 through the Newspaper Proprietors Association (NPAN),” the letter read.

“It will be recalled that this was the sum paid to all newspapers which incurred losses as a result of the act which was arrived at when President Jonathan pleaded for an out of court settlement.

“It has come to our notice that the chairman of the Daily Trust, Malam Kabiru Yusuf who was acting President of NPAN/chairman of the meeting held at Mr. Sam Amuka’s house in Lagos in December 2015 where it was agreed, after a detailed analysis of the situation that NPAN and the newspapers committed no offence by the out of court settlement and therefore had no reason to refund the compensation, has gone behind the association’s back and directed the Daily Trust to refund money.

“After such a dishonorable act by the one person under whose direction members of the association all agreed that there would be no need to refund the money, it is our view that it is no longer tenable not to refund.

“This is particularly more discomforting when it is recalled that the decision to agree to the out of court settlement and compensation was taken at the Abuja office of Daily Trust with Kabiru Yusuf in attendance. It is for this reason that we are refunding the N9 million.

“But we will like to maintain the general position that neither the NPAN nor newspapers committed any offence. Our chairman has also made it clear that he does not see any situation where LEADERSHIP will be part of any group that will take the current government to court. Therefore we should be counted out of any future decision to seek redress in court on this same matter. After all it is not the government that has asked us to refund, it is the treachery of some of our members.”