…Abaribe descends on journalists, editors
…Colleagues ignored him
From: FRED ITUA, Abuja
The Senate, on Wednesday, rejected one of the recommendations of its committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions for the withdrawal of the Senate accreditation of THISDAY and Punch newspapers, over a purported negative report about its leader, Ahmad Lawan.
The two newspapers, in May 2017, had reported that Lawan was booed by youths in his constituency, a report which he denied. The matter was referred to the Ethic committee.
Presenting the report of the committee, chairman of the committee, Samuel Anyanwu, demanded a retraction of the story by the newspapers, with an apology to the Senate Leader.
The recommendation was approved by the lawmakers. The second recommendation that the newspapers be blacklisted from covering the Senate was rejected.
Meanwhile, Eyinnaya Abaribe, who is battling to avoid a jail term, over his inability to produce the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in court, n Wednesday, came down hard on journalists and editors.
Although Abaribe had always enjoyed favourable media coverage, he told his colleagues that some journalists critical of the Senate be replaced by their employers.
He also urged publishers to replace their editors, who he described as ‘unprofessional’. His suggestions were ignored by his colleagues who moved on to accommodate other businesses of the day.