Mrs Rhoda Ishaku Illiya, Assistant Director of Information in the ministry, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja while reacting to online reports alleging that Farouq was reprimanded by the presidency.

She stressed that at no time had the Presidency reprimanded the Minister for “excessive use of power and employment of staff beyond the financial capacity of the Ministry”.

“The Minister has at no point employed any support staff, as employment in the Federal Civil Service is guided by laid down rules and procedures and cannot be carried out at the instance of the Minister.

“The staff of the Ministry to date including the Minister’s staff were deployed from other MDA’s with their salaries and emoluments still domiciled in those MDAs.

“The Minister has at no point stopped payment for the Home Grown School Feeding Programme. It is pertinent to state that the Minister has approved payment for the programme up to the 31st of January 2020.

“The Ministry wishes to reassure the general public that all decisions taken by the Minister and Management of the Ministry are guided by extant rules and regulations.

“We appeal to media practitioners to ensure that they are guided by the ethics of their profession and always verify stories before going public with them.

“They should also place public interest above other interests in the discharge of their duties,” she said.

She called on Nigerians not to be distracted by unfounded stories aimed at distracting the Minister and the present administration from addressing poverty, creating wealth and entrenching inclusion in the country.

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Oshiomhole spoke when he received Obaseki, who led members of his cabinet to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir festival with his former boss, at his Iyamoh residence in Estako West Local Government Government Area of Edo.

Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting which lasted for about an hour, Oshiomhole said the meeting was not unusual as he was in constant touch with Obaseki.

According to Oshiomhole, “from time to time, we have always been meeting. It is not an unusual visit, the meeting afforded me the opportunity to meet with my brother and with people I have worked with.”

Oshiomhole described the seeming rift as the unfortunate creation of people with personal interest and the media, whom he said liked creating factions for their own gain.

On his part, Obaseki noted that the visit to his predecessor was not unusual, saying that he decided to celebrate Sallah with his former boss.

He said the visit was to celebrate Edo leaders just as the former APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, was celebrated by the state earlier in the day.

“There is nothing unusual about this meeting; today is Sallah and we have just finished celebrating with the former APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun in Benin City.

“And we decided to come here to celebrate Sallah with my predecessor,” the governor said.

He added that people who think there was a rift between him and his predecessor should stop thinking like that.

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