Members of the Lagos State
Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Thursday, staged a peaceful
demonstration to the office of Governor Babatunde Fashola at Alausa,
Ikeja, to protest the incessant harassment and brutalisation of
journalists in the state and warned against further uncouth acts on its
members.
The protesting journalists
from various media houses cutting across electronic and print were apparently,
disappointed as neither the governor, nor his deputy, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-
Adefulire, personally addressed them. The governor was said to have travelled
to Saudi Arabia, to perform the Umrah - lesser Hajj.
Vice-President, B Zone of
NUJ, Mr. Dele Atunbi and Chairman, Lagos NUJ Council, Mr. Deji Elumoye, and
other officials of the union led the peaceful protest, which took off from the
Ladi Lawal Press Centre, Alausa, to the office of the overnor.
Journalists had stormed
Ladi Lawal Press Centre as early as 8 a.m. where the protest march began at 10
a.m.
Chanting solidarity songs,
the protesting journalists arrived at the entrance of the State House, Ikeja,
at 10. 50 a.m. and demanded to meet the governor. They were told by the
security personnel at the gate that the governor was not around but assured
that a representative would attend to them.
Determined to achieve
their aim, the journalists sat on the floor of the entrance for several
minutes, chanting solidarity songs while they waited for the government
representatives to attend to them.
Irked by the 40 minutes
delay under the scorching sun, the journalists blocked the entrances of the
State House, preventing cars from exiting and entering the premises, just
as they demanded to see a representative of the governor.
The Special Adviser to the
Governor on Information and Strategy, Lateef Raji, however, came later to
attend to the resolute journalists.
Raji, who received the
letter from Elumoye, apologised for keeping the journalists waiting. He
explained that the governor was not available to attend to them as he had
embarked on the Lesser Hajj.
The Special Adviser also
apologised for the brutality meted to two members of the union, Messrs Benedict
Uwalaka and Tunde Ogundeyi, saying that the government could not fold its
hands and watch law-abiding citizens brutalised by overzealous persons,
assuring that the perpetrators would face the music.
He, however, charged the
media to carry on their duties and responsibilities without fear, just as he
assured of government’s support to protect citizens from needless assault
fromany member of the society.
Meantime, Atunbi and
Elumoye said NUJ lawyers had been briefed to institute a criminal case against
LASUTH, T.O.S Funeral Services and its worker, Bayo Idowu.