Kutigi chases journalists out of conference

Kutigi ordered journalists to “disappear” at the behest of the deputy chairman of the Committee on National Security Albert Horsfall who was presenting his report for the adoption of his committee’s recommendations. Kutigi had said “the pressmen, clear your selves. The pressmen should disappear! Press men disappear…shut your cameras, shut everything and get out from […]

Kutigi ordered journalists to “disappear” at the behest of the deputy chairman of the Committee on National Security Albert Horsfall who was presenting his report for the adoption of his committee’s recommendations.
Kutigi had said “the pressmen, clear your selves. The pressmen should disappear! Press men disappear…shut your cameras, shut everything and get out from the gallery clear and get out from here. Disappear!”
While the journalists were trying to shut down their equipment and pack their bags, Kutigi continued: “Disappear from here now. Security, get them out of here immediately. Get out here. Disappear. Get out, all of you.”
Horsfall earlier said that “I want journalists inside here to close their ears and shut down their cameras because I am going to discuss very sensitive national security issues. Alternatively, Mr. Chairman, I would request that the gallery be cleared of journalists to enable us discuss the issues here.”
The journalists, who were also peeved by the way and manner some overzealous security staff manhandled them, in obedience to the orders of the chairman, boycotted the coverage of the conference afterwards.
The journalists stated that they had no problem with going out for delegates to have a closed door session, but decried “being treated like dogs.”  
While journalists were struggling to pack their equipment, security operatives inside the plenary rushed at them and threw them outside the gallery.
Dozens other overzealous security agents also cashed on Kutigi’s order to descend on journalists, by rushing swiftly to the press gallery and forcing reporters to leave the hall without even allowing them to carry their bags, cameras and laptop computers.
As the journalists were hounded out, the security operatives gathered the bags, laptop computers and other equipment they left behind and dumped them outside the gallery without minding whether they were damaged or not.
The hounded journalists were left for hours under the scorching sun while Horsfall presented the report of his committee.
However, some delegates who realized the danger in Kutigi’s action followed the journalists outside, pleading with them to forgive Kutigi’s manner of approach and to resume work for the national interest.
Also, deputy chairman of the conference Professor Bolaji Akinyemi met the protesting journalists, tendering an apology and saying that the success of the confab depends on Nigerians being fully appraised of its activities through the media.
Akinyemi said “I am sorry about what happened inside; the way the words came across, I am sorry about it. I don’t hold back anything in apologizing to you. We all belong to different professions so the way we say things tend to be different. But I apologize to you for the offence which some of the words conveyed to you.
“You have been good to us, you have been good to this conference, please don’t forget that any demand for change in the country depends on you people to carry the message across. The failure or success of this depends on you as well.
“So please, don’t abandon us half way; don’t abandon us half way. Don’t abandon the message; there would always be irritants in the course of life. Let us focus on the ball. So, I came out of the conference to you here to apologise to you to please not take offence. Let us continue the partnership that we have here.”
Chairman of DAAR Communications Raymond Dopkesi, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, Lanre Ogundipe, Damian Dodo, Sani Zoro and other delegates also pleaded with journalists to resume coverage of the the confab.
As at the time of filing this report, journalists were yet to reconsider their decision to boycott the conference.  
Dokpesi noted that even some delegates who were not happy threatened to walkout, saying “they made a grievous mistake and even those at the top echelon of the media threatened a walkout. Others in the civil society groups and lawyers also threatened to walk out.
“We didn’t like what happened…we reminded them that journalists are well-read people with many of them having second degrees. That people are in journalism does not mean they should be treated anyhow. It is not done…but they have recognised their error. Please let us treat this conference as a national assignment.”