Date: 2016-06-13

The Senate today dismissed a story published by an online medium, Sahara Reporters, that it Inadvertently announced names of Ambassadorial nominees who are members of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) as it said the only letter on the issue from President Muhammadu Buhari requesting for screening of the ambassador nominees did not specify that any of them is representing the intelligence community.

In a statement by Senate spokesman, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate said its President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki read the contents of the communication on the nominations as forwarded by President Buhari and as demanded by its rule.

"The letter from the President only listed the ambassador nominees without any indication of whether any of them is from NIA or other agency. The Senate President read the letter as demanded by the rule of the Senate. The only other letter that came on the issue was to correct the fact that the name of one of the nominees was mentioned twice on the list.

" if anybody is looking for fault on the reading of the list, that person should look elsewhere and far from the Senate. In fact, the Senate leadership has been informed that the list usually does not distinguish who and who is from the NIA until during the period of the screening when the Minster of Foreign Affairs comes to the Senate to provide information on who is who.

"The SaharaReporters story is merely raising false alarm as nobody knows who is who on the list. This is another indication of the news medium trying to find faults and malign the character of individuals unjustly. It is also a demonstration of its penchant for stoking fire of disagreement between the executive and the legislature.

" We use this opportunity to call on journalists to demonstrate more caution, sensitivity and sense of responsibility in reporting issues that border on national security and international image", he said.

Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi
Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs