By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
A civic engagement organisation, Good Governance, Transparency and Accountability Watch (GGTAW), on Thursday condemned what it described as reckless and defamatory remarks by activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, against the Taraba State governor, Dr Agbu Kefas.
Sowore, in a recent post on his personal Facebook page, allegedly described Governor Kefas as “useless, corrupt, inept, and incompetent,” a comment the group dismissed as baseless and malicious.
In a statement made available to journalists in Jalingo, the leader of the group, Mohammed Umar-Adamu, faulted Sowore for making such sweeping allegations without evidence, saying his reliance on hearsay revealed the “culture of blackmail journalism” associated with his online platform, Sahara Reporters.
“For a man who is the publisher of Sahara Reporters to openly base his claims on ‘what he heard’ without a shred of verification is both irresponsible and revealing,” Umar-Adamu said.
He accused Sowore of seeking relevance through unfounded criticism of leaders. “As a perennial presidential aspirant who has consistently failed to win the trust of Nigerians, his latest remarks are no more than another attempt to remain relevant in the political space,” he added.
Highlighting Kefas’s achievements, Umar-Adamu pointed to agricultural reforms, including a strategic partnership with Lagos State via the Taraba Aggregation Company. This initiative, he said, has boosted rural livelihoods and positioned Taraba as a key player in Nigeria’s food security drive.
On infrastructure, GGTAW said the administration had revived long-abandoned projects, improved public facilities, and held contractors accountable. In education, it noted the governor’s declaration of free basic and secondary schooling and his investment in teacher training as transformative steps.
The organisation also praised Kefas for restoring dignity to local governance by ensuring the election of officials at the third tier of government, while guaranteeing prompt payment of salaries, pensions, and promotions for civil servants.
“We therefore urge Nigerians to dismiss Mr Sowore’s comment for what it is: a malicious fabrication, prefaced with the words, ‘I also heard,’” Umar-Adamu stated. “If this is the standard of judgment from a man who calls himself a journalist, then it explains why his interventions have lost credibility.”
The group further challenged Sowore to visit Taraba and see the realities on the ground instead of “peddling hatred and hearsay from afar.” “As stakeholders in good governance, we stand solidly behind Governor Agbu Kefas,” Umar-Adamu added.
