Series of media reports have trailed the swearing into office of Hon. Simeon Achuba as Deputy Governor of Kogi State.
Prominent among them is a report by the Vanguard newspaper that Kogi state governor, Alhaji Adoza Yahaya Bello, had stopped journalists from covering the swearing in of the new Deputy Governor, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kingsley Fanwo has debunked the report, describing it as untrue and spurious.
Boluwaji Obahopo, the Vanguard reporter, had reported that securities on the instruction of the governor, restricted journalists from covering the swearing in of Hon Simon Achuba, the new Deputy Governor of the state.
While debunking the allegation, Fanwo Kingsley who was a senior correspondent of Vanguard before his appointment as Chief Press Secretary, said that many journalists covered the event and no one was either barred from covering the event or threatened by security operatives.
“It is necessary to inform the public about what transpired at the swearing in. I want to place it on record that no journalist was barred from covering the program and no security operative threatened anyone. The government of Kogi State has tremendous respect for journalists and will never allow them to be molested by any security agent,” he said.
However, he reiterated that the governor appreciates the support of media houses, especially Vanguard, adding that the author of the report wrote out of ethical standards.
Also the twitter page of the Chief of Staff, Hon Edward Onoja has not been spared from journalists asking questions as regards the incident, below are his responses
H.Excellency’s respect for journalists is evident in his first apointmnts. Except for the office of the COS. D rest re practicin Journalists
— Edward Onoja (@ed_onoja) February 10, 2016
H.Excellency’s respect for journalists is evident in his first apointmnts. Except for the office of the COS. D rest re practicin Journalists
— Edward Onoja (@ed_onoja) February 10, 2016
If journalists hav misunderstandin wit security operatives, must dey conclude its orchestrated by the govt? H.Excellency respects jornalists
— Edward Onoja (@ed_onoja) February 10, 2016
