konga Ad Campaign konga Ad Campaign konga Ad Campaign
ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Femi Fani-Kayode

Femi Fani-Kayode

Journalist attacked by ex-Minister Fani-Kayode speaks on ordeal

byCletus Ukpong
August 25, 2020
3 min read

A journalist who had a sour encounter at a press briefing with a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, in Calabar, Cross River State, has narrated his ordeal to PREMIUM TIMES.

A video being circulated via WhatsApp shows Mr Fani-Kayode abruptly leaving the briefing after pouring invective on the reporter, Eyo Charles of Daily Trust newspaper, whom he said asked him an “insulting” question.

The incident happened on Thursday at a private hotel where the former minister was briefing reporters on his tour of projects in the South-South state.

The briefing was moderated by Governor Ben Ayade’s spokesperson, Christian Ita, and attended by reporters from Vanguard, Punch, NAN, AIT, and other media houses.

“What type of stupid question is that? What type of stupid question is that? Bankrolling who? Do you know who you are talking to?” Mr Fani-Kayode said angrily to the reporter.

Mr Fani-Kayode, in the video, turned and looked at Governor Ayade’s spokesperson, Mr Ita, who sat close to him. He said he was not going to take any more questions from Mr Charles.

“What type of insulting question is that? Which bankroll? To do what? Who can give me money for anything? Who do you think you are talking to? Bankroll what? Go and report yourself to your publisher.”

The governor’s spokesperson, Mr Ita, stood up and tried to pacify the former minister. “Sorry sir,” Mr Ita said to him. But it appeared he was too angry to listen.

“I could see from your face before you got here, how stupid you are. Don’t ever talk to me like that,” Mr Fani-Kayode kept yelling at the reporter who was still standing and apologising — “I am sorry, sir.”

“Don’t judge me by your own standards,” the former minister kept saying.

“I have been in politics since 1990. I am not one of those politicians that you think will just come…. I was taken, I have been locked up how many times by this government. I have been prosecuted, unlike most of these politicians you follow for brown envelopes!

“Don’t ever judge me by that standard. I spend, I don’t take and I am not a poor man, I have never been and will never be.”

The other reporters appeared stupefied by the incident and did not ask Mr Fani-Kayode any further question. The minister suddenly stood up and left the room.

“I was disorganised” — Journalist

The Daily Trust reporter, Mr Charles, told PREMIUM TIMES that he was “more disorganised” and had to apologise to Mr Fani-Kayode when he heard other reporters told him right there that he should not have asked the question.

He said he did not expect the former minister to “suddenly jumped” at him.

“The question was sir, you said you have gone round six or seven states to inspect projects undertaken by those governors, and now you are here in Cross River state, rounding off your one-week visit to Governor Ayade. Who is bankrolling you?” Mr Charles said.

Mr Charles said after the incident a “security aide” to the former minister walked up to him and began interrogating him. He said he had to hurriedly leave the hotel premises.

The former minister, the reporter said, later called his editor in Daily Trust and demanded his sack.

The reporter said he regretted apologising to Mr Fani-Kayode over the incident.

“I am 53, he is not much older than me. I am not a child, I am an adult and I have children,” he said.

Daily Trust would be issuing a statement on the incident, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Judex Okoro, the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists, in Cross River state, said the journalists’ union was yet to meet over the incident.

Governor Ayade’s spokesperson, Mr Ita, however, told PREMIUM TIMES that what the Daily Trust reporter said to the former minister was not a question.

“The guy didn’t even ask a question. The guy said ‘even though you have not told us who is bankrolling your trips’.

“When he said that the man now erupted, he was very upset,” Mr Ita said. “I was trying to pacify both sides.”

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket


CITIZEN-FM AD


Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: Call Willie - +2348098788999






PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

APC, PDP bicker over threats to scuttle ward-to-ward campaign in Edo

Next Post

Police Recruitment: IGP explains directive on recruitment of candidates

Cletus Ukpong

Cletus Ukpong

Cletus Ukpong is PREMIUM TIMES' assistant editor in charge of Nigeria's South-South region. He is a graduate of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Twitter: @CletusUkpong

More News

The Nigerian Senate Plenary [PHOTO CREDIT: @NGRSenate]

Senate may amend Electoral Act, reconsider stance on direct primary

June 28, 2022
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu

Reps invite Onyeama, NIMC DG, others as Senate keeps mum on trial of Ekweremadu

June 28, 2022
Health workers [PHOTO CREDIT: amnesty.org]

Union seeks end to alleged discrimination, dichotomy in Nigeria’s health sector

June 28, 2022
President Buhari Travelling abroad.

Buhari departs Abuja for Portugal

June 28, 2022
Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad

Senate to continue probe on corruption allegations against ex-CJN

June 28, 2022
Nnamdi Kanu

Again, court rejects Nnamdi Kanu’s bail application

June 28, 2022
Next Post
The Police Inspector-General (IGP), Mohammed Adamu. [PHOTO CREDIT: @toluogunlesi]

Police Recruitment: IGP explains directive on recruitment of candidates

Eedris featured Sound Sultan in his new album

Eedris Abdulkareem set to release first album in 10 years

Read All Comment

Search

AUN-PT Ad




Access Bank Ad







Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,897,544 other subscribers.

Advertisement




netherland biz school Advert



ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • #PandoraPapers
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Opinion
  • The Membership Club
  • DONATE
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • PT Hausa
  • Dubawa NG
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.