…ready to lock horns in court over corruption allegations
TGNews, a prominent online media platform in Adamawa State, has firmly defended its journalistic integrity in response to a legal threat from Dr. Sulaiman Saidu Bashir, Executive Chairman of the Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency.
The dispute stems from a TGNews report published on April 24, 2025, titled “Tribalism, Nepotism Rock Adamawa PHC Under Dr. Sulaiman Bashir Leadership,” which alleged corruption, favoritism, and mismanagement within the agency.
The report accused Dr. Bashir of prioritizing tribal and religious affiliations over merit in staff appointments, promoting junior officers to senior roles, and making unilateral decisions without consulting stakeholders.
These actions, TGNews claimed, have fostered insubordination, disunity, and workplace conflicts, undermining the agency’s operations. The outlet said it attempted to contact Dr. Bashir for comment via calls and text messages but received no response.
In a strongly worded pre-action notice dated May 12, 2025, Dr. Bashir’s legal team, Gabriel Adikwu & Co., labeled the publication “false, slanderous, malicious, and defamatory,” arguing it has damaged the reputation of their client, a respected medical doctor.
They highlighted the agency’s achievements under Dr. Bashir, including recognition as the best-performing state in routine immunization in the Northeast and partnerships with global organizations like UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The lawyers demanded a retraction, a public apology in three national dailies, and an interview opportunity for Dr. Bashir to set the record straight. They also sought N250 million in damages for reputational harm, threatening civil and criminal action if TGNews fails to comply within 21 days.
TGNews, through its legal counsel Goro M.E. Esq., stood its ground, asserting that the report was based on verified intelligence and served the public interest by exposing systemic issues.
“We adhere to journalistic ethics and have no personal vendetta,” the outlet declared, emphasizing its commitment to accountability and neutral reporting.
TGNews rejected the retraction demand as “unprofessional” but extended an olive branch, offering Dr. Bashir an interview to address the allegations and present his side. The platform underscored its adherence to the Freedom of Information Act and its tradition of thorough verification before publication.
“We counsel Dr. Sulaiman to look within and address the loopholes instead of attacking or threatening us with lawsuits,” TGNews stated, urging the agency head to tackle the reported issues rather than suppress the media.
The outlet’s editor-in-chief, Tom Garba, reiterated that the publication aimed to prevent further damage to the primary healthcare system, not to malign Dr. Bashir personally.
“Neither I nor any of my staff know Dr. Suleiman Bashir personally. We are only doing our job: holding public officials accountable for the interests of our people. We did that with the evidence at our disposal, which Dr. Suleiman Bashir failed to respond to despite our calls and text messages seeking his defense prior to the publication.”
“There is no 21-day ultimatum because we stand by our report and await his side of the story in his defense. For now, TGNews remains steadfast, championing its mission to speak truth to power while offering Dr. Bashir a platform to respond.”
TGNews has been actively promoting the people-oriented policies of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri while holding the government accountable on various issues. We do not spare anyone found wanting.
Our commitment to upholding professional ethics and integrity recently earned us an Award of Excellence from Authentic News Daily. This achievement cannot be downgraded by anyone in this profession.
