From Henrietta Ashikodi, Umuahia
The Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, has denied sending away journalist during a press briefing held at the Assembly in Umuahia.
It will be recalled that last week, during a press briefing at the instance of the Speaker, a journalist of Enyimba FM, Aba was chased out of the briefing on the ground that he was not invited. Even though the reporter claimed that he was invited.
The attitude of the Speaker did not go down well with most journalists in the state and he has been in the news lately for the negative reason.
Reacting in a statement he personally signed, and titled; “Re: Expulsion of Enyimba FM journalist from press briefing in the Abia State House of Assembly”, the Speaker said that as a lawmaker who knows the constitutional role of journalists in a democratic dispensation, he could not have discriminated or ordered the expulsion of any journalist from the press briefing, irrespective of the journalist’s position on his stewardship as a Speaker.
He described the report as false, unfounded and one meant to create disaffection between the office of the Speaker and journalists in the state and urged the public to disregard the allegation.
Rt. Hon. Emeruwa described himself as one who is a friend of the media and has personal relationships with journalists in the state, most of who has direct access to him.
My attention has been drawn to the reports making the rounds that I, the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, expelled a journalist from Enyimba FM, from a press briefing at the conference hall of the state Assembly.
“For the records, I am a friend of the media. I have personal relationships with many journalists in the state, most of who have direct access to me.
“I am also aware that journalists from different media organizations were invited to a press briefing by the state Assembly, to inform them about the setting up of the Abia State House of Assembly Service Commission by Governor Alex Otti and other important matters.
“They were all seated before my arrival with the Deputy Speaker and other officials of the Assembly, including members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, (PASAN).
“I never expelled any journalist from the press briefing or ordered journalists not to ask questions on any issue.
“As a Speaker who knows the constitutional role of the media in a democracy, I have no reason to expel or discriminate against any journalist, no matter his or her position about my stewardship.
“I urge the public to disregard such report as fake, unfounded and meant to create disaffection between the office of the speaker and journalists in the state”. The Speaker stated.
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