VC’s Allegation on Insecurity: Gov. Sule gives 7-day ultimatum to retract statement

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has threatened to sue Professor Zacharys Gundu, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Mkar, Gboko in Benue State, over an allegation of fuelling insecurity in the state.

The governor’s threat is contained in a letter written to the VC through his counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN.

The Vice Chancellor was alleged to have made a statement on a national television programme, accusing the governor of masking the problem of insecurity in the state.

Specifically, he was quoted as saying that the governor was calling the attackers “international hunters” despite knowing that they were coming from Nasarawa State and attacking Benue

Governor Sule has demanded that the VC retract his statement and tender an unreserved public apology within seven days of receipt of the letter.

The governor’s counsel stated that the statement had seriously injured his reputation in the eyes of right-thinking members of society and that the damage occasioned by the VC’s deliberate but ill-advised action was unquantifiable.

If the VC fails to retract the statement and apologize within the specified timeframe, Governor Sule has threatened to seek redress in a court of law, where exemplary damages would be claimed against him.

The governor’s counsel emphasised that his client would not sit back and watch his hard-earned reputation and goodwill destroyed by the VC’s malicious decision to lay false allegations against him.

The letter, dated July 22, reads in part: “Given the far-reaching ramification of your publication, our client hereby challenges you to provide evidence of your allegations therein against him, which has seriously injured his reputation in the eyes of right-thinking members of the society..

” If not, we have our client’s further instructions to seek redress against you in a court of law where exemplary damages will be claimed against you.”