Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has demanded N1billion and an apology from Leno Adesanya of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited over allegations believed to be injurious to the former’s reputation.
Mr Adesanya had accused the minister in series of publications from January 11 to 16, 2019 of attempts to divert about $600 million from the 3050mw Mambilla Hydro Power Project.
A January 17, 2019 letter written by Mr Fashola’s lawyer, Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan (SAN) titled “Re: Libel and Malicious Publication on Babatunde Raji Fashola, Esq, SAN by Leno Laitan Adesanya in several Tabloids and Online News Portals” said Adesanya published grievous, defamatory and injurious words “on or about 11th to 16th January, 2019 under the caption: MABILLA POWER PROJECT – OPEN LETTER TO MR. BABATUNDE FASHOLA (SAN)”.
The letter accuses Adesanya of labelling Fashola as a peddler of falsehood who has chosen to undermine President Muhammadu Buhari and the North.
“Nigerians have mistaken your eloquence for honour, not realising perversion of the truth is now a recurrence pattern to your diatribe,” Adesanya is quoted to have said of Fashola.
Uwensuyi-Edosomwan declared that with the publications, Adesanya described Fashola as “a dishonest public office who is fraudulent, corrupt, disregarding of his oath of office and disloyal to his President and his country – Nigeria.
“A dishonourable lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a liar with a perversion for truth.
“An unworthy minister who betrays his country by deploying his tribalism negative bents in sabotaging other parts of Nigeria other than his own parts for unconscionable personal pecuniary gains.
“A sleek conman that uses his gifted eloquence to dishonourable and perverse end, and generally, an unpatriotic Nigerian unworthy of public office.”
Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, therefore, demanded a complete retraction of the offending publications, a properly-worded unreserved apology in all the news tabloids and online portals, and pay the sum of N1 billion as pecuniary compensation “for your reckless and mindless injuries to his reputation and credit”.
The lawyer warned Adesanya that he would proceed to initiate legal steps “to bring the full consequences of your recklessness in the aforementioned publications on you” if by the end of 14 days of this letter “any of these listed demands still stands unfulfilled”.
