Mohammed Babangida, son of former military leader Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has refuted claims on social media that he declined his recent appointment as Chairman of the Bank of Agriculture by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The federal government had announced his appointment last week, along with seven others. However, a fabricated letter surfaced online on Monday, purportedly from Babangida, thanking Tinubu for the offer but rejecting it due to “personal and professional reasons.”
Through the Ibrahim Babangida Media Office in Minna, Babangida swiftly dismissed the letter as fake and politically motivated. Mahmud Abdullahi, the office’s spokesperson, stated that Babangida immediately recognized the letter as a falsehood created by mischief-makers.
“The letter is a fabrication by disgruntled individuals. I am fully prepared to serve as Chairman of the Bank of Agriculture,” Babangida was quoted as saying.
Abdullahi pointed out inconsistencies in the letter, including a forged signature and an incorrect phone number on the letterhead. He urged the public to disregard the false report, emphasizing that there was no truth to the claims.
“The public should ignore the letter entirely—it is completely untrue,” he added.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
