Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state has won many battles in life, but the recent one he set up against the media has ended badly for him, so much so that the state’s helmsman, who’s believed to be nursing a presidential, has now been forced to bow his head in shame.
Recall that last Wednesday, Umahi, in continuation of his war on the media banned for life, the state correspondents of The Sun newspaper, Chijioke Agwu, and the Vanguard newspaper, Peter Okutu, from entering the Government House or any government facility in the state.
In the statewide broadcast, the Ebonyi helmsman banned the two journalists from covering the state ‘for life’, a situation that generated public outcry against the governor from prominent Nigerians and the media.
Governor Umahi has now recanted and apologized for his unruly behavior against the journalists.
In a television broadcast on Tuesday, the governor said he has now realized his folly and is prepared to work amicably with the media.
According to him “I have directed that the unfortunate incident with the press was not intentional but I’m asking everybody to disregard what has happened because we are all partners in progress and let us work together.
But I will advise that you please cross-check information.
There are certain write-ups that people are not happy about and that is why I said please let everybody down tools in love and work together.”
The governor has invited the two journalists to the government house to publicly apologise to them.
He said “I specifically asked that the SUN and Vanguard reporters be invited, as a father when you beat a child with one hand, you bring the child back with another hand.
I believe strongly that if anybody wants to intentionally bring you down he can’t pull you down standing, he will certainly go down with you.
And you may even rise above of him. But the single way to be happy in life is to be happy with success.
We must work together, he said, and “I want to invite the press for partnership and also ask them to also please helps build the state. Nobody said you should do preferential reporting, nobody said you should not report the truth because our state is peculiar. Everybody has forgotten what happened let’s work together.”
Governor Umahi, had, penultimate Saturday, ordered the arrest of Agwu over a report he did on the Lassa Fever outbreak in the state.
Three days later, Okutu was arrested on the orders of Ohaukwu LGA Chairman, Clement Odah, over a report he did on the alleged military invasion of Umuogodoakpu-Ngbo community in the council area.
Both Journalists were later released.
