The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGS) has responded to recent allegations made by a media organization regarding a contract award. They have described these allegations as mischievous, malicious, and frivolous, suggesting that they are merely aimed at driving traffic to the website and generating advertisement revenue.
OSSAP-SDGS acknowledges that there are individuals within the media space attempting to tarnish the office’s reputation, but they remain focused on their people-oriented programs. They have reported the matter to the authorities to ensure the responsible parties are held accountable.
The office of the SSA SDG maintains that journalists should provide proof of their allegations in court, where evidence can be properly examined, rather than tarnishing the hard-earned reputation of the ministry and its projects for the sake of website traffic and advertisement revenue.
In a statement, OSSAP-SDGS addressed the accusations with seriousness and stated the following:
We take the accusations with the seriousness they deserve and set the record straight as follows:
Recently, news circulated on social media alleging that the office awarded N141.1 million to a restaurant in Abuja shortly before the expiration of the Buhari regime. We vehemently reject these claims. They are not only misleading but also malicious, aiming to tarnish the integrity of our office.
The information in these publications is false from the outset. The intentions behind these assertions are malicious, aimed at damaging the reputation of our high office. OSSAP-SDGs has been transparent in its operations and project implementation processes, including supporting the construction of the Skills Acquisition Centre and a Block of Classrooms in Lagos State, among many similar projects across the country. Therefore, the assertion that our project was sponsored by a restaurant is false and baseless.
Our projects are undertaken by professionals in the field of construction and engineering, who are competitively contracted following established rules and standards. Therefore, the statement suggesting that our project was being conducted within a restaurant is malicious and should be disregarded entirely. Moreover, the project was never redirected from Ajeromi; it was only relocated for logistical reasons to facilitate completion within stipulated timelines. The fact that the facility has been completed and commissioned confirms efficient and successful service to the people. The statement is also false because our procurement department adheres to every procurement law.
Therefore, the allegations are baseless. We assure the concerned parties that the funds used in the project were appropriately utilized. We are working tirelessly to achieve more goals and urge the general public to ignore these allegations and continue working closely with us.
This revised version provides clarity and coherence to the response while maintaining professionalism and addressing the allegations effectively.
Freelanews is the editorial byline of Freelanews.com, used for staff reports, news updates, press releases, and collaborative stories produced by the Freelanews Editorial Team.
