Security operatives attached to the Kogi State Government House on Tuesday prevented journalists in the state from covering the inauguration of the deputy governor, Simon Achuba. The plain cloth and uniform men at the entrance of the banquet hall of the Lugard House in Lokoja ordered journalists, mainly members of the correspondent’s chapel out of the reception of the hall. The newsmen had rushed down from the House of Assembly complex to the private residence of the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, where he is using as office only to be directed to the banquet hall of the government house. However, the armed security men, who had initially screened the journalists thoroughly at the reception later, ordered them out of the hall, claiming that the event was not for coverage. The security men, who claimed that they have an instruction from the above that the inauguration was not meant to be a public function warned the journalists to leave the office. One of the security men said, “if the programme is meant for coverage, it would have been held at the Township Stadium.” All efforts to make the security operatives see reason with the media men were rebuffed as they maintained that the event should not be reported. The Special Adviser to the governor on Media, Mallam Abdulmalik Abdulkareem and Chief Press Secretary, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, were not on hand to intervene on behalf of the maltreated journalists. Several efforts by the Chairman of Correspondents’ Chapel, Mallam Ademu Idakwo, to explain to the security men were rebuffed. Credit: Tribune

ok

Op!you are a liar.What I just watched on TV.Showing the ceremony.Though it was indoor stuff.