News went viral online over the weekend that Mohammed Babangida rejected his appointment as chairman of the Bank Of Agriculture. The letter which had his signature was published on some blogs. But the son of the former military ruler said, ‘No, it wasn’t mine’
Muhammad Babangida, son of former military president General Ibrahim Babangida, has denied rejecting his appointment as chairman of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), describing a viral letter claiming otherwise as fake.
The purported letter, which has been circulating on social media, alleges that Babangida declined the appointment recently approved by President Bola Tinubu.
However, in a reaction on Monday, one of Babangida’s media aides, Mahmud Abdullahi, said the letter was “concocted” by disgruntled individuals and dismissed it as false.
“Muhammad Babangida did not reject the appointment. The letter circulating is fake. In fact, the signature is not that of Muhammad Babangida, while the telephone lines quoted are not his,” Mr Abdullahi said.
He added that Babangida “has gratefully accepted the appointment as chairman of the Bank of Agriculture as announced by the federal government and therefore extends his sincere appreciation to President Tinubu for the trust and confidence bestowed upon him.”
Abdullahi also assured that those behind the fake letter would be investigated and brought to justice, emphasising Babangida’s commitment to “transparency, accountability, and fostering unity within our nation.”
Babangida’s appointment was part of a slate of strategic leadership changes across federal agencies announced by the presidency last week.
The Bank of Agriculture is a key institution expected to play a central role in the federal government’s push to enhance food security and support Nigeria’s farming sector.
Muhammad Babangida, 53, holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in public relations and business communication from the European University in Montreux, Switzerland.
He also completed an executive program on corporate governance at Harvard Business School in 2002.