The media team for the Executive Secretary and CEO of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Engr Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo, has issued a statement refuting baseless allegations linking him to an abandoned road project in Kwara State.
The statement, signed by the C.O Media Team and made available to 9japarrot media was a direct response to a series of publications by one Mr. Tejumola Olusegun Orilemola, who claims to be the convener of a group called the Society for Sustainable Governance.
Orilemola had alleged that a company, TAHL Engineering Limited, was linked to Engr. Adebayo and that it was awarded and subsequently abandoned the Oke-Onigbin Road project.
The statement reads;
In recent days, a certain individual who goes by the name Mr. Tejumola Olusegun Orilemola, claiming to be the convener of a faceless unregistered group called the Society for Sustainable Governance, has been circulating baseless allegations in a desperate attempt to smear the name of Mr. Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA).
In his series of unguarded publications, he alleged that a company, TAHL Engineering Limited, which he mischievously linked to Mr. Adebayo, was awarded the contract for the Oke-Onigbin Road Project and that the said project had been abandoned. These claims are utterly false, mischievous, and deliberately designed to mislead unsuspecting members of the public.
*For the avoidance of doubt, the road in question is not a Federal Project, as being mischievously suggested in some quarters, but the Oke-Onigbin Ring Road, a local road measuring not more than 600 meters. Contrary to the falsehood being peddled, the road has since been completed, and residents of the area can attest to this fact.*
If indeed Mr. Tejumola insists that the project was awarded to TAHL Engineering Limited, then it is only fair that he or the state government should produce the official award letter and the duly executed contract details for the said project. In the spirit of transparency, the onus is on either of them to make these documents public. Better still, Mr. Tejumola may wish to invoke the Freedom of Information Act (FOI Act) to obtain from the Kwara State Government the official documents showing that the said contract was duly awarded to TAHL Engineering Limited.
Until such evidence is produced, his publications remain nothing but fabricated propaganda and a headline-seeking innuendo meant to malign the reputation of a decent and hardworking public servant.
Furthermore, a simple search on the internet will reveal that Mr. Segun Adebayo has since resigned from TAHL Engineering Limited and by law, once a director resigns from a company, he ceases to have any legal or operational affiliation with it. Therefore, it is both mischievous and dishonest to continue to associate him with any project or action purportedly carried out by the company despite the fact that he is no longer a member of same. It is unfortunate that individuals who lack both credibility and evidence now exploit the anonymity of social media and faceless organisations to spread falsehoods against people they perceive as political adversaries.
We are not unmindful of the antics of political mischief makers who, out of cowardice, prefer to hide behind invented titles, strange names, anonymous bylines and unregistered platforms to launch attacks against innocent individuals. They often adopt random or fictitious names to mask their true identities while doing the dirty work of their sponsors.
The so-called “Society for Sustainable Governance” and its self-styled convener, Mr. Tejumola Olusegun Orilemola, appear to fall squarely into this category. Indeed, it is doubtful whether such a person or organisation exists beyond the imagination of those who concocted this defamatory narrative. In a society where everyone can freely express opinions, it is unfortunate that some have cowardly chosen to weaponize falsehood as a political tool.
It must also be stated that if the person who feels defamed by these reckless publications chooses to pursue legal redress, such an action should not be misconstrued as an attempt by a public officer to intimidate a private citizen. Rather, it should be seen for what it is, a legitimate effort to defend one’s reputation against deliberate falsehood.
However, the more honourable course is for those behind these publications to come out of hiding, provide verifiable evidence of their claims, or quietly retract them with an apology to the public. No responsible commentator should attempt to destroy the name of another under the cover of anonymity and deceit.
It is in the best interest of the general public to disregard the falsehood being circulated by this shadowy figure. *The facts remain that the Oke-Onigbin Ring Road is a state project, not a Federal one, it has since been completed, and no contract was ever awarded to TAHL Engineering Limited under the leadership or direction of Mr. Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo.* Those who have chosen to spread lies should be reminded that truth is constant and cannot be buried by propaganda.
The time has come to call out faceless individuals who feed the public with fiction and to demand that they either show their faces or die in cowardice.
Signed:
C.O Media Team
