President Muhammadu Buhari’s cows must have attained some high level of prominence to deserve reportage from Sahara Reporters, as the now struggling media outfit made them an issue for National discuss.
The President had decided to spend some time in his hometown in Daura before heading to the “One Planet Submit” in France.
He posted series of pictures of himself, on a visit to his farm, where he was seen doing some planting and checking on his cattle.
I’m spending a few days at home in Daura before I travel to France for the One Planet Summit. Today I paid a visit to my farm. I grow fruits & vegetables,& keep cattle. I hope this will inspire one more person to take up farming. My vision is for a country that grows what it eats pic.twitter.com/gMZIpHOtYk
— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) December 10, 2017
Rather than focus on the massage, Sahara Reporters did a “photo-check” that suggests Buhari’s cows have changed since 2015, before he his Presidency.
@NGRPresident Buhari and the changes that have taken place at his Daura ranch between 2015 and 2017 pic.twitter.com/Fd437H9wM3
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 10, 2017
According to the online media house, the cows are now well fed, thus, looking good, as shown in the pictures posted.
Apart from the fact that the assumptions were based on the pictures, not fact or investigation, many have complained about how Sahara Reporters is losing the battle for Breaking and Exclusive News to Premium Times, a situation which seems to be pushing the media house to desperation as it get’s worse in alarming pettiness daily.
On November 19, just after the election in Kwara, Sahara Reporters uploaded a video on Twitter showing less than 10 women with the caption “Meanwhile in Kwara yesterday residents engaged in WIDESPREAD condemnation and protest against @bukolasaraki and his “Mugabe” dynasty in Kwara during LGA elections.”.
Another pointer to this boredom, lack of content and desperation in recent time is the embarrassing September 2 report Sahara Reporters concocted. SR claimed President Buhari was about traveling to the US two days from the day of the publication. It even claimed to have seen an itinerary for a trip that was not going to happen. The report also suggested that the President may use the opportunity for another medical trip.
When this lie was refuted, by virtually everyone who should speak for Government, Sahara Reporters reported the refutation as “denying” and insisted Buhari was to travel on the 4th; the same day the second report was being written. Mr. Buhari did not go on the imagined journey neither did any evidence emerge that the President was invited by Donald Trump, as claimed.
How a media house with adults thought a President will be going on an official visit to the President of the United States in 48 hours time and they still needed an “anonymous source” to “reveal” the news, is strange. Shehu Garba had to suggest someone is purposely selling fake news to Sahara Reporters to embarrass them.
Sahara Reporters kept going on and on about how every trip has a medical meaning to the President, as the President’s medical state then was a soft sell. Whatever was wrong with Sahara Reporters got worse when on September 15 it reported that Buhari is heading to the UN General Assembly and the trip is “…bound to trigger demonstrations by several groups” over an unrelated tribally tensed issue.
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President Buhari and Bukola Saraki are not the only subjects of Sahara Reporters’ newly found pettiness. Last week, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar visited former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, and Sahara Reporters, still desperate to show the NGOs from whom they get funding that they are fighting one cause or the other, posted a picture on Facebook, practically complaining about everything from Atiku’s shoe to his visit, to IBB; who they called names.
Not done, on Wednesday, Sahara Reporters produced a picture of IBB without a shoe and went on to narrate the unverifiable folktale that Babangida’s shoe was stolen in a Mosque. The post ended with a mockery of Babaginda’s health.
No doubt Sahara Reporters has scored some good points in past years in the fight against corruption, but many fear personal vendetta, lack of professionalism and unexplainable pettiness may just ruin this record.