Abdulfattah Olajide
9 November 2008
The management of LEADERSHIP newspaper has apologised to President Umaru Musa Yar'adua over the false report it published on the president's state of health last Saturday.
Leadership had published on its front-page, a report titled "YAR'ADUA SICK AGAIN" which alleged that the president "has not attended any public function in the last two days" and that he was equally absent from last Friday's Jumah services at the National Mosque, Abuja, because of ill health.
Following the publication of the offensive report, President Yar'adua had directed his lawyers to sue the newspaper for libel and publication of falsehood. In the apology statement it published in yesterday's edition of LEADERSHIP, the newspaper's management admitted that the said story was not true. It therefore "sincerely apologise to the president and members of his family."
The statement reads in part:
"We admit that portions of the lead story carried yesterday by LEADERSHIP WEEKEND did not meet the standard we have set for ourselves as a newspaper. Having taken a second look at the offensive part of that report, we can understand the concerns of the Presidency and therefore sincerely apologise to the president and members of his family.
That mix-up does not suggest, however, that we have been working in alliance with any person or group or party that does not mean well for our president or our country."
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