Sports Minister debunks report of Pres. Buhari walking out on him and some Ministers over purported N20m housing allowance request

Earlier this week, some online media platforms reported that President Buhari had staged a walk-out on some Ministers led by Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, who had visited him to appeal for a N20 million housing allowance for them. The Sports Minister has reacted to the report stating that it is false. Read his reaction which he shared on his Facebook wall
Sometimes over the weekend, the Nigerian populace has been inundated with alleged twenty million Naira annual minister’s housing allowances championed by Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung. It was alleged further that angered by this ignoble demand the President walked out on the Dalung led Ministerial delegation. What a breaking rumour of the week that spread like wild fire. This allegation has generated serious concern amongst well meaning Nigerians reflected by nature of opinions in view of the disposition of this current administration.
It’s not in my character to honour fabrications with a reply or defence, however it is fair to put the records right especially when Intergrity of reputable personality like Mr President is involved. The proper person cannot be more the self styled champion of the purported delegation, more so that rumour did not disclose names of other members of the delegation. The professional way of reporting such stories is to capture the composition of the inglorious ministerial delegation but here it only singled out and named the purported “champion”.
On the Thursday, 28/4/2016, I left Abuja for Kaduna to represent Mr. President at the Swearing in Ceremony of NYSC batch A 2016 scheduled for following day beingFriday. After the induction Ceremony, I left for Wedding Fatiha of my friend’s sisters in Lere. I spent the night in Saminaka, left the following day for Education Endowment fund raising of Fityanu Islam in Wase. Thereafter, I attended Puskaat Cultural festival in Mangu. I spent the rest of my weekend with my family in Jos, then returned to officeon Monday.
The foregoing account therefore cannot be reconciled with the allegation of leading the self serving housing allowance delegation to Mr President over the weekend except may it was my spirit which I may not be in the position to deny or confirm. To the best of my knowledge, these allegations are ingenious fabrications of magic oriented minds seeking to fly a kite of blackmail against my person. Since I was sworn in as Minister, I have never been mandated anytime to lead any delegation anywhere, so this rumour is baseless.
The most ridiculous aspect of the so called breaking rumour is the attempt to portray the intergrity of Mr President in bad light. The President is a man whose temperament for tolerance is faultless. His capacity to listen patiently even to displeasing opinion is second to none. So to alleged that he lost his temperament by walking out on the purported housing allowance ministerial delegation is not been fair to him. In a worst case scenario, the President would have listen then right there seek for legal backing of the demand from the delegation but to walk out is incredible of his personality.
To those whom the breaking rumour had generated concerns, I appeal for calm and understanding that nothing like the fabrication exist. To me it’s part of politics of public responsibility where such rumors are created to weaken moral capacity to perform.
“An dake kura akai, an kara mata karfi”,
What a “breaking rumors” for the week?
Jumma Mubarak.