by Hauwa Gambo

This would be funny, if it weren’t also deeply troubling – that one newspaper’s editors would clearly miss the satire in a piece, and ask another newspaper for an apology over same.

Yes, we know Leadership is under siege these days. but come on guys.

[READ: The Punch ‘calls’ Jonathan a kidnapper over Leadership saga – See Cartoon]

In Sunday’s (14 April) edition of A Pinch of N(u)ews (published on this newspaper as ‘Last week’s news with a pinch of salt’) written by Stanley Azuakola, Leadership was mentioned. The funny (yeah, that’s what satire does, guys) piece stated that the troubled newspaper had exposed another presidential directive, this one for the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, who was in Nigeria last week, to be placed under 24-hour surveillance by security operatives.

[READ: Last week’s news with a pinch of salt]

And for that – Leadership issued a press statement?! See below:

The management of LEADERSHIP Newspapers has refuted a story published in the Sunday  Guardian  April 14, 2013, which claimed that it had published a story on a presidential directive asking security agencies to place a 24-hour surveillance on the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, who visited Nigeria last week, throughout his stay in the country.

The Guardian in the story written by one Stanley Azuakola claimed that LEADERSHIP published a story which had the potential to damage the cordial Nigeria-Poland relations.

Parts of the Guardian story which was attributed to LEADERSHIP read: “In the new directive they published, the president reportedly wrote, ‘you know Poland currently occupies the position of 20th largest economy in the world, the position which Nigeria desperately covets; hence all efforts during the visit must be geared towards ‘cross-Polishnation’.

“Cross-Polishnation is the process whereby Nigeria must cross the Polish nation and overthrow it as the 20th largest economy in the world. To achieve this, the Polish prime minister must be placed under 24-hour surveillance throughout his stay in the country.”

The Guardian also quoted the spokesman of the president, Reuben Abati, to have debunked the report, saying: “This desperate conspiracy between ‘Leakership’ newspaper and ‘Liar’ Mohammed would surely fail.

“The president respects the rule of law, so he will not personally do anything about it; however, we do not know if the police feel the same way. So, they may or may not receive a visit soon.”

The management of LEADERSHIP described the story as a deliberate mischief aimed at disparaging it before its highly respected readers and called on the Guardian management to, without delay, tender an unreserved apology.

[READ: Reuben Abati: Leadership Newspapers should not get away with this voodoo journalism]

No guys, YOU. DID. NOT.