By Akinwale Kasali
Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, is under fire, even as he struggles to clear, the air on an incident involving himself and a journalist in Calabar.
A simple but deep and mischievous question by a Reporter, Eyo Charles of the Daily Trust brought out the very worst in him, made nonsense of his press conference, and over-shadowed the essence of his trip to Calabar.
The reporter had sought to know who was bankrolling his trips across PDP states. That stung, touched a raw nerve, and as Fani-Kayode said while hauling insults, he (FFK), has a short fuse, which apparently burst.
Condemnation to his shocking reaction has come like claps of thunder.
A shocked leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, berated him for the ugly incident, saying he threw caution to the wind.
And so has the International Press Centre, IPC.
In a statement by Chris Isiguzo, NUJ President, the body noted that: “By denigrating the journalist, Fani-Kayode has exposed himself the more as an intolerant and unstable person who will not want his activities closely scrutinised by the Media.
“It is instructive to remind the likes of Fani Kayode that it is the Constitutional right of Journalists to monitor, and keep a check on people and institutions in power.”
It continued:
“By delving into politics and holding political office, Fani Kayode is very conversant with the watchdog role of the media.
“So, for him to have embarked on an assessment of projects in some states, even though we are yet to be told under what platform, he is doing so, it is proper for the media to hold him to account for his actions and decisions.
“His reaction was totally unacceptable, dishonourable and reprehensible and we demand a retraction of his untoward, irritating and awkward utterances which negate simple decorum and civility.
“We are more shocked that the same Kayode who had in recent times, used his social media handles to call leaders to account is at the same time attacking a Journalist for a simple demand for him to unmask those behind his nationwide tour. He had already visited six states. This is indeed, terribly disappointing.”
The International Press Centre (IPC) condemns the verbal assault inflicted on the journalist by Fani Kayode.
In a video posted by The Cable, an online newspaper, Charles was seen asking the former Minister, if he was funded to embark on a tour of projects in the state to which he responded with verbal attacks.
The Minister was seen threatening to deal with Charles, who has since claimed that a security detail in the entourage of the former Minister confronted him after the press conference.
In its reaction, IPC said Fani-Kayode’s it viewed Fani-Kayode’s action as repulsive and unacceptable since there was nothing wrong with Charles wanting to know if the tour was an independent initiative or a sponsored one.
“The former Minister had the option of not answering the question and the abuses were totally out of place in the context of the event”, the Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade said.
He continued:
“The IPC, therefore, demands that the former Minister should apologise to the Journalist and give an assurance of his safety in view of the alleged further threats.
“IPC is of the view that journalists who are saddled with the constitutional obligation of monitoring governance and holding the government accountable to the people should not be subjected to harassment in the course of duty.”
However, in response to both the NUJ and IPC, Fani-Kayode said he was misunderstood, and explained:
“During my tour of the South, and after a long and successful press conference in Calabar, Cross Rivers state, a journalist put up his hand for the last question and said,
“Well we do not know who is bankrolling you. This is not a question, but an assertion and an insult.
“And if this insulting ASSERTION were made before Trump or OBJ, I know how they would have reacted. Above is my response & I have no apology to offer for it. The young man apologised to me during the press conference & sent his apologies to me after the conference..
“..I have accepted his apologies & moved on. I have always had respect for journalists & always will. Those of them that know me or worked with or for me over the last 30 years can attest to that. However there is a distinction between asking a question & offering an insult.
“This is all the more so when it is clear that the assertion was sponsored and engineered by my political enemies who wanted to use the young man to insult and embarrass me and question my integrity. Well they got more than they bargained for.
“I repeat this was not a question but an assertion and an gratutious insult and I will not accept that from any man born of woman. Thank you.
“Permit me to add the following. I have taken note of the report by Daily Trust on the incident. The content is false. I didn’t send any of my security men to threaten their reporter. I only reprimanded him for a premeditated plan to embarrass me & he apologised.. thereafter. That was all.
“This is not a battle between me and the esteemed Nigerian journalists who respect the ethics of the noble profession. I have always been and will always be a friend to journalists and a champion of freedom of speech. What I will not accept are..
“Brazen insults from an individual in the name of journalism. The assertion or assumption that I am being bankrolled by anyone is deeply insulting. Finally to the NUJ I say u have got me completely wrong. It would have been better if you had heard my own side of the story..
“…and established who was behind this whole incident and attempt to embarrass me, who paid for it and how much they paid before going to press. Nevertheless I still hold you in high esteem”
