Mr. Patrick Osagie Eholor, President, One Love Foundation, a civil rights advocacy group, has condemned in strong terms the verbal assault on a journalist by a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode.
Eyo Charles, a Daily Trust reporter, was seen in a video asking the former minister at a press conference in Calabar, Cross Rivers State, if he was funded to embark on a tour of projects in the state to which he responded with verbal attacks.
According to Eholor, One Love Foundation viewed this development as embarrassing and unacceptable, especially from a former minister since there was nothing wrong with the journalist wanting to know if the tour was a sponsored one.
“We, therefore, demand that the former minister should apologise to the journalist and give an assurance of his safety in view of the alleged further threats.
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“One Love Foundation is of the view that in a democracy, journalists 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.
“We also demand for some pertinent answers from Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode for boasting that he was a former minister. What were his achievements in office as a former aviation minister, knowing full well the rot in the aviation industry under his watch?
“Nigeria is not a banana republic, therefore, we urge Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode to apologise to Mr. Eyo, NUJ, the Press Council and Nigerians for the shame and embarrassment he brought to all,” he said.
