Ex-Ghanaian President, Rawlings, Faults Online Report, Seeks Retraction

Source: thewillnigeria.com
FORMER GHANAIAN PRESIDENT, JERRY RAWLINGS
FORMER GHANAIAN PRESIDENT, JERRY RAWLINGS

SAN FRANCISCO, June 23, (THEWILL) – The office of the former Ghanaian President, Jerry John Rawlings, has described a news report originally published by an online medium, Premium Times Nigeria, which is now being circulated widely on the internet, about his recent lecture in Nigeria, as one that is “laced with irresponsible falsehoods, fabricated quotations and wrong allusions that bring the image of His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings into disrepute.”


A statement issued on Sunday by the Director, Office of former President of Ghana, Captain H.Afeku-Amenyo (rtd), faulted the report, saying the former Ghanaian President did not make reference to the Government of Nigeria and he made no scathing attack on the Nigerian Government as the Premium Times reported.


The statement added that “President Rawlings also did not make reference to the Nigeria leadership’s failure to punish politicians who steal public funds,” maintaining that “The first three paragraphs of the report are complete fabrications.”


Warning other media which had inadvertently re-published the said article to note that they will be held equally liable should it decide to take legal action on the matter, the office of the former Ghanaian President said it had already taken a serious view of the story, which it described as malicious, libelous and a very negative piece of journalism.


The statement said since the story “ is calculated to bring the image of President Rawlings into disrepute,” the office of the former Ghanaian President had already written to demand a retraction of the publication.


The statement reads: ”The attention of His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings has been drawn to a scurrilous news report originally published by the Premium Times of Nigeria, which has received wide coverage on the internet and other social media.

“We wish to state strongly that the report is laced with irresponsible falsehoods, fabricated quotations and wrong allusions that bring the image of His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings into disrepute.

“President Rawlings did deliver the keynote address on Emerging Democracies in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities, at conference organised by the National Institute for Legislative Studies in Abuja on Monday, June 17, 2013.

“His address did not make reference to the government of Nigeria and he made no scathing attack on the Nigeria government as the Premium Times reported. President Rawlings also did not make reference to the Nigeria leadership’s failure to punish politicians who steal public funds.

“The first three paragraphs of the report are complete fabrications. Paragraph ten and twelve are distortions of what President Rawlings said. Because of the gross distortions and falsehoods the entire report does portray a totally different representation of the fact as took place at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja on June 17.

“We have taken a very serious view of the publication because it is malicious, libelous and a very negative piece of journalism, which is calculated to bring the image of President Rawlings into disrepute and written to demand a retraction of the publication.

“We caution other media who have inadvertently republished the said article to note that they will be held equally liable should we decide to take legal action on the matter.”