The management of BUA Group did not leave anything to chance in its concerted attempts to unravel the mastermind of the syndication of a fake news report alleging that the BUA Group was involved in shady deals over its OML110 oil bloc. Also, the report quoted the former Managing Director of Cavendish Petroleum, Alhaji Ibrahim Mai Daribe, as its source. Reacting, Mai Daribe not only denied issuing the statement, he also lampooned the authors for the misinformation while disclosing that he had stepped down as the Managing Director of the organisation for which he was said to have issued a statement.
After conducting its independent investigations, the BUA Group disclosed that the mastermind of the report is James Onyejekwe, MD of Kainos Exploration and Production, and, “We have, therefore, instructed our legal team to immediately commence criminal defamation proceedings against the person of Mr. James Onyejekwe who is the said originator of the malicious letter fraudulently attributed to Cavendish Petroleum against our person, with damages.”
Further, “BUA is also commencing proceedings against the online blog, blazenews.com.ng – which first published the unsubstantiated malicious news and thus failed in their duty of journalistic care to check, confirm and clarify the source of such a weighty allegation against a responsible corporate citizen, particularly as the platform made itself a willing vehicle for articles of disinformation capable of bringing the company into disrepute before its clients, staff and continent of operation.”
The group adds that its actions became necessary to protect the name and reputation of the company while maintaining that it sees no reason why Mr. James Onyejekwe of Kainos Exploration and Processing would single out BUA in a supposed business dispute which had no link to the BUA Group in its entirety. Therefore, “BUA finds it absurd that Mr. Onyejekwe or anyone else will decide to drag BUA into their issues and/or put out such a malicious and defamatory statement, fraudulently using the name of Cavendish/Alhaji Mai Deribe without recourse to the truth, facts, decorum or decency.”
In a statement issued early today, the BUA management declares that it takes its public perception and reputation seriously and as one of the organisations with impeccable records in Corporate Social Responsibility, will not take Nigerians, Nigeria and, indeed, its business partners for granted, hence, the swift response to clear the air over what it termed a fake and malicious publication.
The statement reads, “It is with great regret and concern that we respond to the false, malicious and spurious allegations of corruption (first published on blazenewz.com.ng and therein allegedly attributed to a purported statement by Alhaji Ibrahim Mai Deribe and Cavendish Petroleum) with respect to BUA’s OML 110. BUA has been duly contacted by Cavendish Petroleum as well as the alleged writer of the statement, Alhaji Ibrahim Mai Deribe and both parties have told BUA on the record that neither Cavendish, the Mai Deribe Family nor any of its Executives put out such a malicious statement.
“We find the statement false, defamatory, malicious and libellous – published with the clear intent to impugn the integrity and reputation of BUA Group and its Chairman, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu. BUA takes its reputation seriously and we will continue to do everything to protect it from anyone and any entity who obstructs our mandate to conduct business in a proper, legal and socially-responsible manner. BUA will, therefore, utilise its legal and human resources to resist every campaign of defamation and distraction.”
