Why we rejected Dasuki’s N10m compensation –Punch

Management of Punch Nigeria Limited rejected the N10million compensation proposed by the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) for each of the newspaper organisations whose circulation were disrupted by the military in June 2014, Qed.ng can authoritatively report.

ThisDay Publisher, Nduka Obaigbena, had revealed in a recent letter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he received N120million from former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, in his capacity as NPAN President on behalf of “12 newspapers who demanded compensation for the brutal and unlawful seizure of newspapers and stoppage of circulation by armed soldiers in Abuja and several cities”.

Executive Secretary of NPAN, Feyi Smith, also said in a statement released on Saturday that the association agreed at a meeting in March to distribute N10million each from the N120million to the 12 newspapers.

The newspapers listed were ThisDay, Vanguard, The Nation, Daily Trust, Leadership, Peoples Daily, Sun Newspaper, New Telegraph, Nigerian Tribune, The Guardian, Daily Independent and Business Day.

Missing on the list is The Punch whose circulation was also disrupted in a clampdown that began on June 6, 2014 when security agencies moved in on distributors and sellers in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Jos, Maiduguri and Ibadan.

Speaking exclusively to Qed.ng on Sunday, a source who wishes not to be named said, “We were contacted by NPAN. But we told NPAN we were not interested.”

While some saw nothing wrong with the payment, the source told this online newspaper that “The compensatory process was shrouded in secrecy, at least from the public. We made our position known to the NPAN when the issue came up.”

The disclosure comes as The Guardian on Sunday distanced itself from the N120m compensation scandal.

Speaking via an email quoted by Premium Times, Chief Operating Officer of The Guardian, Alexander Thomopulos, said the newspaper never supported collecting the money from the government and did not receive any money.

Mr. Thomopulos said even though The Guardian incurred N450,000 loss as a result of the attack, it “stated categorically that we did not want any compensation.”

“Can you please explain how our name, Guardian newspapers, was part of the twelve (12) newspapers submitted to the Government for compensation?” he asked Mr. Smith in the mail.

“We are told that on the basis of the twelve names, the Association or some entity was paid N120,000,000.00.

“We share categorically that our stand remains the same, as it was in the beginning. Also we share categorically that the Guardian newspapers did not receive any money and did not ask for any money.”

Four other media organisations listed by NPAN have also denied receiving any payment.

They are African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of Tribune; Peoples Media Limited, publishers of Peoples Daily; Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited, publishers of New Telegraph, and Independent Newspapers Limited, publishers of Daily Independent.

Mr. Smith explained why three of the papers have not been paid in his statement on Saturday.

“The cheques for the Nigerian Tribune and Peoples Daily remain in the Secretariat awaiting collection.

“In the case of New Telegraph, the Secretariat was confronted with a situation where 13 Newspapers made claims while compensation for 12 newspapers was made. Blueprint Newspapers which was inadvertently omitted from the list has since been paid.

“When New Telegraph now demanded payment that had been collected by Blueprint Newspapers, the secretariat then brought the matter to the attention of the of the President, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, who then called Governor Orji Kalu , the Publisher of both the Sun Newspapers (who had been paid) and the New Telegraph (which has not been paid), to urge him to be patient for the matter to be tabled at the next Executive Council meeting, where he would seek the approval of the EXCO to take the funds earmarked for the Secretariat to pay them.”

Tribune and New Telegraph insist no such explanation was made to them before the payment became public knowledge.

The scandal got messier late Sunday as Premium Times reported an exchange of indicting emails between Obaigbena and Thomopulos.

Commenting on the controversy, a Lagos based media expert told our correspondent “we have not been happy with the way NPAN has been managed in recent times. The lack of accountability and the deal making that has come to characterise its activities is a threat to the noble legacy bequeathed by the founding fathers of the association.”