Tempers rose up on Wednesday at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja
as journalists covering the National Conference were forcibly sent out of the
plenary for alleged security.
The drama started when the Chairman Conference Committee on National
Security, Albert Horsfall, requested the conference Chairman, Justice Idris
Kutigi (retd.) to send out the journalists before he could continue his
presentation. He cited security reason for his action.
Kutigi, who is a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, granted the request,
saying the journalists should leave.
His shouts of “Disappear from this place immediately; Vamoose! Pressmen
clear yourselves! The pressmen should disappear from this place! I say Press
men disappear, shut your cameras down, shut everything and get out from the
gallery right now, clear and get out from there! Disappear,” vibrated though
the conference venue.
Expectedly, the overzealous security men swung into action by chasing
journalists away from the venue.
The development however angered some of the journalists who threatened
to boycott the entire proceedings of Wednesday.
Consequently, the plenary was thrown into confusion for over 40 minutes
as the delegates were divided on the appropriateness or otherwise of Kutigi’s
action.
Some of the aggrieved journalists said they felt embarrassed with the
dictatorial manner with which Kutigi ordered them out of the plenary.
A journalists who preferred anonymity, said they were not opposed to
being sent out of the confab on the grounds that delegates wanted to begin an
executive session, but that the chairman should have been more diplomatic and
civil in his language and approach.
A delegate from the South-West and leader of the Civil Society
Organisation, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), who met some of the journalists outside
the premises, said since it was the directive of the chairman, newsmen were
free to boycott the session.
As the media professionals were criticising Kutigi over his actions,
some delegates who realised the mistake of the chairman came outside to appeal
to the media men, saying he had apologised to the journalists.
Among those who came to intervene and apologise on Kutigi’s behalf were
the Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi; a former
President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Lanre Ogundipe; Senator Florence
Ita Giwa, ex-NUJ President, Mallam Sani Zoro, as well as some delegates
representing the CSOs at the conference.
The Deputy Chairman of the conference, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, who also
came outside to appeal to the journalists, said the committee chairman
requested for the walk out, adding that he had come to apologise on behalf of
the conference.
He said, “Please don’t abandon us half way, I came out of the conference
to apologise, please your presence will determine the success of this
conference. Once again, please accept my apology
just look at his face......
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