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White House correspondent Simon Ateba has accused Biden's press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre of "discriminating" against him after she left a briefing room without answering his question.

Ateba, a Cameroonian journalist who runs the online news outlet Today News Africa, has repeatedly clashed with former White House press secretary Jen Psaki and Jean-Pierre in the past two years, accusing them of ignoring reporters in the back of the briefing room.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily meeting in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 9, 2022. Today News Africa's reporter Simon Ateba accused Jean-Pierre of discrimination for not taking his question on Thursday. JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
While journalists from major news outlets sit in the front of the room, those from less well-known and smaller organizations are usually seated in the aisle or the back of the room, as arranged by the White House Correspondents' Association's board.

The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room has only 49 seats, and the press secretary is free to choose which reporters to call on, although TV networks and other large news outlets who sit at the front typically get called on more regularly. The first question traditionally goes to the Associated Press.

Ateba, who has long complained about the press secretary ignoring reporters at the back, is known to be one of the loudest journalists in the briefing room. In May, Psaki asked him to stop interrupting after he shouted questions at her during her final briefing.

"Why don't you take questions from across the room? Because that's not what you've done for the past 15 months," Ateba asked, talking over another reporter, before Psaki told him: "Simon, if you can respect your colleagues and other media and reporters in here, that would be greatly appreciated."

Simon really wants to get his question in pic.twitter.com/4e5hYbmf11

— Acyn (@Acyn) May 13, 2022
In November, Ateba criticized Jean-Pierre for brushing off another reporter's question about the origins of COVID-19 during Dr. Anthony Fauci's final briefing, shouting that she had "valid question about the origin of COVID."

The increasingly tense situation between the journalist and Biden's press secretary escalated on Thursday. Jean-Pierre walked out of the White House briefing room in visible frustration as Ateba continued talking over her, asking questions about next week's U.S.-Africa summit, as she was attempting to reply to him.

"I literally just tried to answer your question, and you shut me down," Jean-Pierre said, before deciding to end the press briefing prematurely and leave the room.

Karine Jean-Pierre abruptly ends the White House Press Conference after getting into a shouting match with an African reporter: pic.twitter.com/BFFJmlMSh3

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) December 8, 2022
On Friday, Ateba made an appearance on Fox News's show Tucker Carlson Tonight, telling the TV host that it has been a "nightmare" to cover the White House while Jean-Pierre is press secretary.

"It's been a disaster, a total catastrophe, a real nightmare covering the Biden White House. Right now, I'm the voice of Africa in the U.S.—but I can confirm that the level of discrimination against me and against African journalists in the White House is astounding, it's disgraceful," Ateba told Carlson, adding that he didn't "have questions at the White House" for three months now.

"Even as President Biden is about to receive 50 African heads of state in D.C. for the U.S.-African summit, she didn't give us even a single question. I've been trying for the past three months."

The journalist went on to accuse Jean-Pierre of discriminating against him for his accent. "I sound different. I wasn't born here. I was born in Cameroon. I speak French. I speak different languages. I don't have the American accent. I've tried. I've failed and I've decided I'll stick with my accent," Ateba told Carlson.

"I'm an immigrant, and she doesn't like that," he added.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Newsweek.

Newsweek has reached out to Ateba for comment.
https://www.newsweek.com/african-journalist-accuses-press-secretary-jean-pierre-discrimination-1766119?fbclid=IwAR3wYmoX_37nbuxHTAQfIFp8MyGanf2qEI0Lx8yajiR6GsVCzCAtu2PuYTA

panafrican:
That LGBT Wannabe White press secretary is discriminating against us.
Told you, too many of these folks who prefer calling themselves "Brown" ( Not Black) are extremely beater against African immigrants. Four hundreds years are good enough to burn those brain cells.
It is better to pity some people than getting mad at them
Look at her messed up face . Confused as hell.

opamoses1:
Lies from that Trump-loving, interrupting, disrespectful and aggressive Cameroonian silver back gorilla called Ateba.
The rude silver back gorilla had issues with the former Whitehouse press secretary too. He needs to work on himself.

panafrican:
The brown Gorilla - gay- wannabe Europeans are in " Merico " and the Caribbean except some Jamaicans . Gorillas are even better !
You all better take your boats back and find your freaking tribes in here instead of trying to be what you will never be. That Cameroon man is a real clear blood Black .

opamoses1:
Lies from that Trump-loving, interrupting, disrespectful and aggressive Cameroonian silver back gorilla called Ateba. He is projecting his behaviour on others. He can't try that nonsense he always does during press briefings in Africa without the security throwing him out.

Gateway Pundit (a conservative far right media) called their fellow conservative Simon Ateba out not long ago for his rude behaviour.

The lady is an immigrant herself. Born outside the US to Haitian parents. She speaks Haitian Creole (Pigin) as well as french and English just like most Cameroon speak Pidgin, French and English. Haiti is a shithole just like many places in Africa according to Trump.

The rude silver back gorilla had issues with the former Whitehouse press secretary too. He needs to work on himself.

panafrican:
The brown Gorilla - gay- wannabe Europeans are in " Merico " and the Caribbean except some Jamaicans . Gorillas are even better !
You all better take your boats back and find your freaking tribes in here instead of trying to be what you will never be. That Cameroon man is a real clear blood Black .
Not confused like your fast food damaged brains

RestructureNig5:
Bloody Islamic jihadist claiming PanAfrican

Stupid Muhammedian praising Buhari for his incompetency

panafrican:
Blame JonaCROOK who spent his time in office smiling and sucking Europeans' butts.

RestructureNig5:
I will keep exposing you here, you're Fulani jihadist that have the mentality of Saudana of Sokoto, Fulanization is taking Africa backwards, we must rise to defeat Fulani hegemony in Nigeria.

Bloody Muhamedian Sahelian dweller claiming PanAfrican

panafrican:
You forgot Joe ,your own leader.

RestructureNig5:
Jonathan did better than Buhari, Jonathan is greater than prophet Muhammad

President Buhari's accomplishments in six Years
In a statement on Friday, Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, said the Buhari administration is “recording giant strides, enough to make Nigerians proud”.

He said: “Some people claim: we don’t see what they are doing. We don’t hear about it. Well, here it is. A Fact Sheet, a report card on the Buhari Administration, just a bit of the successes, as the milestone of six years is attained.

“As it is said, the past is but a story told. The future may yet be written in gold. When the Administration breasts the tape in another two years, by the grace of God, the applause will be resounding, even from the worst of sceptics. Facts are undeniable, and always remain so. They are stubborn things.”

INFRASTRUCTURE

-Presidential approval, in 2020, for the establishment of InfraCo Plc, a world class infrastructure development vehicle, wholly focused on Nigeria, with combined debt and equity take-off capital of N15 trillion, and managed by an independent infrastructure fund manager.

– Establishment in 2020 of the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), with more than $1 Billion in funding so far.

– The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has seen total additional inflows from the Government of around US$2 billion under the Buhari Administration – since the original US$1 billion which the Fund kicked off with in 2012.

– Launch of the Nigeria Innovation Fund, by the NSIA, to address investment opportunities in the domestic technology sector: data networking, datacenters, software, Agri-tech, Bio-tech, etc.

RAIL

– 156km Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Rail nearing completion

– 327km Itakpe-Warri Standard Gauge Rail completed and commissioned 33 years after construction began.

– Abuja Light Rail completed in 2018.

– Ground-breaking done for construction of Kano-Maradi Standard Gauge Rail, and revamp of Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri Narrow Gauge Rail.
– Financing negotiations ongoing for Ibadan-Kano Standard Gauge Rail project

ROADS
Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), investing over a billion dollars in three flagship projects: Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway.

– Executive Order 7 mobilizing private investment into the development of key roads and bridges like Bodo-Bonny in Rivers and Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki-Ojota in Lagos

program to mobilise, in its first Phase, over a Trillion Naira in private investment into the development and maintenance of 12 Roads, amounting to 1,963km in length.

– More than 360 billion Naira worth of Sukuk Bonds raised since 2017 for dozens of critical road projects across all six geopolitical zones.
PORTS

– Completion of New Terminals for International Airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt

– Construction of New Runway for Abuja and Enugu International Airports

– Presidential approval for four International Airports as Special Economic Zones: Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

– Approval for new private-sector funded deep sea ports: Lekki Deep Sea Port (Construction already well underway, for completion in 2022); Bonny Deep Sea Port (Ground-breaking done in March 2021); Ibom Deep Sea Port; and Warri Deep Sea Port

– Development of capacity at the Eastern Ports:

o In December 2017, Calabar Port commenced export of bulk cement to Tema Port in Ghana

o In 2019, three container ships berthed at Calabar Port, for the first time in eleven years

o Dredging of Warri Port (Escravos Bar—Warri Port channel) completed in 2018

o On October 30, 2019, an LPG Tanker operated by NLNG, berthed in Port Harcourt – the first time ever an LPG ship berthed in any of the Eastern Ports

o On December 8, 2019, Onne Port received JPO VOLANS (owned by Maersk), the FIRST gearless and largest container vessel (265.07 metres) to call at any Eastern Port in Nigeria.

o On August 1, 2019, Onne Port’s Brawal Terminal received MSC GRACE, its first container vessel since 2012.

POWER

Energizing Education Programme: Taking clean and reliable energy (Solar and Gas) to Federal Universities and Teaching Hospitals across the country. Four Universities completed and commissioned already: BUK (Kano), FUNAI (Ebonyi), ATBU (Bauchi) and FUPRE (Delta); others ongoing.

Energizing Economies Programme: Taking clean and reliable energy (Solar and Gas) to markets across the country. Completed projects include Sabon-Gari Market in Kano, Ariaria Market in Aba, and Sura Shopping Complex in Lagos.

National Mass Metering Programme: Nationwide rollout of electricity meters to all on-grid consumers, launched in August 2020. The Central Bank of Nigeria is providing 60 billion Naira for the first phase, with a target of 1 million meter installations. So far more than 500,000 meters have been delivered to the Discos, and more than 280,000 installed.

Solar Power Naija: Launched in April 2021 to deliver 5 million off-grid solar connections to Nigerian households. The program is expected to generate an additional N7 billion increase in tax revenues per annum and $10 million in annual import substitution. In May 2021, the Rural Electrification Agency announced the planned deployment of solar-powered grids to 200 Primary Health Centres (PHC) and 104 Unity Schools nationwide.

Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), aka Siemens Power Program: A Government-to-Government initiative involving the Governments of Nigeria and Germany, and Siemens AG of Germany, to upgrade and modernize Nigeria’s electricity grid. Contract for the pre-engineering phase of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) was signed in February 2021, following the 2020 approval for the payment of FGN’s counterpart funding for that phase.

Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) has provided grants for the deployment of 200,000 Solar Home Systems, impacting one million Nigerians. The NEP is also delivering mini-grids across the country....

Go to https://www.thecable.ng/report-card-presidency-lists-buharis-achievements-in-six-years
to read more about HOUSING, OIL AND GAS, EDUCATION AND HEALTH, CREATIVE INDUSTRY AND SPORTS ; FISCAL; TRADE; MONETARY AND INVESTMENT REFORMS; PRESIDENTIAL ASSENT TO LEGISLATIVE BILLS,; ANTI-CORRUPTION AND TRANSPARENCY; EXPANSION OF TSA AND IPPIS COVERAGE,; SECURITY AND JUSTICE REFORM etc.