When saharareporters.com was created, it was seen as a website that would promote good governance and social Justice by removing the veil that gave some governments and government officials cover to do things that did not promote the well being of the citizens and the nation they governed.

The site quickly established a reputation as a medium for ground breaking news and Nigerians flocked to the site making it the most popular website in Nigeria as at 2009.

But as the British Philosopher, Lord Acton once noted, 'power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely'.

Having had a taste of power, the power that control over the dissemination of information brings, those behind the website gradually began to metamorphose into those they had once targeted-power hungry tyrants who misuse power to serve a personal agenda while passing it off as a national agenda.

Once a watering hole for anybody who wants to know the truth that those in power do not want you to know, saharareporters.com has reduced itself to a site that is a massive gatherer of negative information on those whose political and ideological leanings differ from the operators of saharareporters.com.

Whether the information they publish is true or not isn't the concern of the site. Their concern is that it tarnishes the government irrespective of the collateral damage to the nation called Nigeria.

And aiding this site are foundations like The Omidyar Foundation and the Ford foundation who have variously given grants to saharareporters.com
ostensibly to promote government transparency and Social Media advocacy. But have these foundations given any thought to the possibility that they may be funding the subversions of democratically elected governments and Social Media tyranny?

Let me use myself as an example.

On the 14th of February, 2015, saharareporters.com published an article about me entitled 'Jonathan's Aide, Omokri Burglarizes House In Delta, Carts Away N25Million Meant For Buying Of Votes'.

In the story, they alleged that in the company of armed men, I invaded a house in Delta State, burglarized it and stole 25 Million Naira. 

One of the codes of the ethics of journalism is that journalists should take responsibility for the accuracy of their work by verifying information before releasing it and use original sources whenever possible.

From this code was coined the phrase 'when in doubt, leave out'.

Saharareporters.com has my contact details and Omoyele Sowore has called me on previous occasions. Other members of the staff of saharareporters.com have either called me or exchanged emails with me. As Special Assistant on New Media to President Jonathan of Nigeria, I am very responsive to the media. 

Yet, despite having my contact details, saharareporters.com did not contact me to verify the details in their story before going to press.

Even the most cursory investigations by saharareporters.com would have exposed the fact that this story is entirely false. 

Saharareporters.com and Omoyele Sowore pride themselves on having sources within the Nigerian Presidency. 

If this were true, those sources would have told them that on the day and time (the morning of Tuesday the 10th of February 2015) they alleged that I led armed men to burglarize a property in Warri, Delta state, I was actually at my office at the Aso Villa Presidential Complex.

I was seen by officials of the Directorate of State Security who man the entrance to the Villa complex. I was sighted by the policeman who mans the gate to my office. I was seen by support staff at in the premises. I had meetings with senior officials in my office. I received guests including a Director and later a youth pastor in a ministry located in Abuja. 

Prior to that time, I had a transaction with my personal banker in the banking district of Abuja. I also interacted with a pastor of the Christ Embassy Church in Mpape. 

On that same day, I also performed pastoral duties in my capacity as the pastor of a local church in Abuja.

Moreover, I have not visited Delta State since December of 2012 when I visited Delta state to arrange my travels with a clergy man living in that state.

Finally on this score, a record of both my cell phones would show that they triangulated only within the Federal Capital Territory.

It therefore beats the imagination why, with the preponderance of easily available information that showed that their story could not possibly be true, saharareporters.com went ahead to publish this libelous story against me. 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of the fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, once said "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth".

It is impossible  that saharareporters.com and Omoyele Sowore could not reach me to verify their story. This can only lead to the conclusion that malice was the motive of their story.

A number of prominent Nigerians have complained about the antics of saharareporters.com whose unethical and untruthful reporting has the capacity of severely eroding trust between the citizenry and the government.

The online site has reported that the President of Nigeria, President Jonathan had travelled at a critical time in the nation's history even when he had not, has reported that the government of Nigeria had ordered gold plated iPhones as gifts even when this was untrue. These untruthful reports had the effect of inciting the citizens against their government and put the nation on edge until the reports were rebutted by the truth. 

In all of these stories, the site and its promoters could have easily verified the truth but chose not to, preferring to publish lies.   

Against the universally accepted journalistic ethic of seeking out truth and reporting it, saharareporters.com has sought out negative information without regard to whether or not it is true. 

And what has been the result?

A site that was once the most popular site in Nigeria has slipped and is now not even featured amongst the top 30 sites in Nigeria (those in doubt can verify this information at alexa.com).

Its popularity has eroded and its infamy has resulted in more responsible newer sites such as Linda Ikeji's blog (number 13) and naij.com (number 15) displacing it and pushing it to number 31 position in Nigeria.

The question at this juncture is this. Why have The Ford Foundation and The Omidyar Foundation as well as other philanthropic organizations continued to support this website?

Is it their aim to subvert the Nigerian state? Do they believe that by supporting this site financially they are promoting Good Governance? In their opinion, does good governance equate to supporting the opposition? 

I encourage these organizations to invest a little sum on hiring an independent and objective media audit consultancy and have them appraise the activities of this site. 

These organizations have much work to do in Africa and especially in its largest economy, Nigeria, and they must ask themselves how much of their other activities will be tainted by their involvement with this site.

Finally, let me remind the promoters of saharareporters.com of one truth that can never be suppressed- No matter how far falsehood has travelled, it must eventually be overtaken by truth. 


Reno Omokri is Special Assistant on New Media to the Nigerian President. 

http://www.naij.com/387884-of-saharareporters-omidyar-ford-foundation-and-tyranny.html

First point:all the elaborate and deliberate attempt to be seen by all the people Omokri claimed to have sighted him that day gives one an impression he was deliberately trying to create an alibi,while the deed was being done.
Second point: That linda ikeji blog and so called naij blog are now way ahead of sahara reporters is childish tantrum best suited for the waste bin.
SR may not totally be accurate in its reports,but it remains one of the topmost news sites out there with increasing patronage and access to topmost news.
Reno Omokri is not even fit to be making any claims of factuality against a reliable medium like SR because he has been shown severally to be a serial liar and identity theft culprit.

The statement you credited to lord acton was actually made by A presocratic phylosopher. Reno please correct ur self and stop the misatribution you are too big for that.

Who will not pick SR over Reno Omokri? Think deeply!

Reno Omekery (Wendell) is crying like a baby now? A man that committed identity theft just to demonize GEJ's opponents

Who is the sponsor of all the falsehood that he reels out in the media?

Who sponsors Okupe to call himself a Bastard?

Sahara Reporters remains the most reliable news outlet available to Nigerians.

This Reno O'Monkey don come again?

One of the codes of the ethics of journalism is that
journalists should take responsibility for the accuracy
of their work by verifying information before releasing
it and use original sources whenever possible.

really tell me why AIT and nta propagate propaganda to discredit buhari.

fela only mentioned buhari in beast of no nation, he called him a crazy fellow not a corrupt person but AIT and nta edit the only part he mention buhari.


Buhari didn't not expel Ghanaian from Nigeria,
shagari of the npn did. but AIT didnt verify before the spiteful documentary.

Gloria okon did not disappear under buhari, but PDP,AIT and GEJ propagate dat.

buhari never say he will make Nigeria ungovernable but you satanist keep spreading the lies.

Abeg what will you call NTA and AIT.

so omockey abi na Wendell smith go and die



when sahara was propagating jona in 2011 who was sponsoring them then.

will murdify and modify later

Before it was APC... Now its something else...

Politics in general is full of liars everywhere....

Ford Foundation.... Hahahaha I laff...

Just say you want your job back Mr Reno Omokri

omokri and FFK will end up in jail after the emergence of GMB.... i hope they wont fly out as soon as the result is announced.

change we need...

Too bad

posfilwe:
Sahara fraud

True talk

Omexonomy:
A

For Apple

Rubbish talk

nairalandbuzz:
Before it was APC... Now its something else...

Why naija

This man working had for his pay check!

oilpoo:
what do we believe?

Dnt knw

So its no more being sponsored by Tinubu and APC. Wendell Similin is a shameless fellow.

Rubbishhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........

So So when Sahara Reporters were reporting against those who never wanted Jonathan to become the Acting President when the Late Yardua was ill...... and was in favour of Jonathan to become our Acting President...

Such Campaign was sponsored by Who??

well we wld all meet at the polls on March28

tpacalipse:
Who will not pick SR over Reno Omokri? Think deeply!

That's it o

wait wait wait OP..u actually expect me to read all these trash..op d thunder dat will fire u ehh..is still doinq press up

1 most of u are making noise because the article is against ur number one propaganda.
2 the truth still that Sh report never say any good thing about the govt even when it clear that $49b was missing from nnpc

3 there report are always talking good about the opposition even when fashola and tinubo could finish lagos rail light project with so much money spend on it.

4 to the sahara report all the defected governors were corrupt when they were PDP governors but now they are saint for joining the apc blackmail Nigerian with a fake chande agenda sahara report could not fault any deceit in them.
5 when it purportedly discovered that Ayo fayosa rigged the ekiti election to sahara report it was true but when PDP accused INEC of joining buhari and his illiterate brothers to rig the election in favor of buhari to them the story was a lie and propaganda

sahara report should continue with lies and deceit as for SHR will b the last website i will visit to get info.

Always lies to promote the devilish and cunning agenda of the APC.
A party for the dumped and corrupt young and old fools.

all these fake news you guys are sharing! hmmm. kontinu there is God o

This RenOAF OmoKIRIKIRI Again??

Oga, its not jus saharareporters. Every media body infact the Nigerian Media sector is been chewed up by this cankerworm of lies and falsehood. Both NTA or saharareporters. Even Nairaland. No media house wants to represent the truth. Just their pockets. But pitifully, even the whole world can never hide the truth. It will always come out in due season.

Reno omokri still dey talk

This omokori just love attention

Babaneh:
omokri and FFK will end up in jail after the emergence of GMB.... i hope they wont fly out as soon as the result is announced.

change we need...

can you use your small brain to read what this gentle man was saying instead of talking rubbish from your stinking mouth