NUJ Kicks after Umahi Walked Out on Journalists, Tagged Media Non-existent

•Criticises minister’s spokesman for disrespecting over 40 reporters 

•Journalists’ body urges Tinubu to call Umahi to order, threatens boycott

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Hours after the Minister of Works, David Umahi, disrespectfully walked out on invited journalists, who were supposed to cover a press briefing in his office, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), yesterday said it was ‘appalled’ by the development.

The incident also came weeks after the minister  clashed with an Arise reporter, who demanded to see an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on the controversial Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.

In Abuja, the journalists had waited for the minister to address them after they got an invite to the press conference at the Mabushi office of the minister in Abuja.

However, Umahi abruptly exited the ministry’s conference room where the correspondents were gathered, asserting that the press was non-existent, after he kept the media men waiting for close to an hour.

No explanation was given by the minister as to why he suddenly shunned the journalists after an invitation was extended to them.

The minister was earlier criticised by Nigerians for his exchange with Laila Johnson-Salami, an Arise News correspondent, during a stakeholder meeting on compensation for the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project in Lagos.

During the briefing, Johnson-Salami asked if the project had gone through an EIA as required by law, but the minister in an apparent move to ridicule the journalist stated that she was speaking ‘fone’ a slang for phonetics, stressing that he could not understand what she was saying.

However, for an event that was scheduled for 2pm on Tuesday , Umahi arrived at 2:50 pm and after reciting the national anthem and pledge, quickly ended the meeting, saying, “There is no press here. The press conference is not held again. When the press is ready.”

He added: “The permanent secretary and other directors should follow me to my office. The press is not-existent.”

This riled the over 40 journalists present at the event, but the minister, accompanied by other directors, departed from the conference hall to his office without offering further explanations or an apology.

The development marked a continuation of the routine and constant disrespect for journalists who cover the works beat in Abuja.

Recently, the office threatened to ‘sanction ‘ journalists who use old pictures of the minister online, even though images that are used in the different media houses are beyond the control of the reporters on the beat.

But spokesman for the minister, Uchenna Orji, in a statement following the incident, said the meeting was deferred, rather than cancelled. He , however  did not state the new date that the meeting was postponed to.

Orji described the various reports by reputable media houses as done by ‘anonymous reporters’, stressing that they misrepresented facts about a well-intended decision of the management  of  Federal Ministry of Works to shift a press briefing.

“ It is to be noted that the decision of the management of the ministry to reschedule the press briefing  to a more convenient date was in good faith and was  communicated to the audience of all present.

“For the records, the relationship between the Federal Ministry of Works and the journalists is unwavering as we see each other as partners in the  development  of our dear nation,” Orji said.

 The comment by the spokesman to the minister however elicited a reaction from the , NUJ-FCT Council, yesterday which said it was appalled by the outright disregard for members of the fourth estate of the realm by Umahi.

“The description of over 40 journalists present for an assignment, as ‘journalists are not present’ was very condescending to a press conference he had invited the media through the ministry’s Assistant Director Press, Mr. Clement Ezeorah,” a statement signed by the Chairman, Osadebamwen Osaretin, and Secretary, Ochiaka Ugwu, stated.

NUJ stated that the crème of Nigeria’s print, electronic and online media was present when the event happened, stressing that insinuating that describing these and others as “media not present” leaves much to be desired.

“The minister owes a duty to Nigerians through the press and therefore, should demonstrate respect and utmost courtesy, if not the media would be persuaded to boycott his activities. To treat members of the press with such condescension is unbecoming of a minister appointed to serve and not be an emperor.

“The last time was him trying to shout down the Arise TV Correspondent, Laila Johnson-Salami. The Council urges President Bola Tinubu to call the minister to order as well as direct all his appointees to demonstrate the highest civility and courtesy to journalists and the media in general.

“It bears repeating that the media has a constitutional role to hold government and its officials accountable to the Nigerian people, and no amount of intemperance from any government official will erode this sacred duty,” the NUJ stressed.