Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emeruwa, has come under fire for allegedly walking out a journalist, Kingsley Chibuike from a press briefing without any explanation.
The press conference held on Thursday at the conference hall of the Assembly, had in attendance the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Austin Nmeregini, among others.
Reacting to the sad development, a former Speaker of the House, Chikwendu Kanu, said such a behaviour should not be condoned.
The former speaker, who described the role of the media as very crucial for the survival of democracy, said no attempt should be made to obstruct their operations.
He said: “When I was speaker, the chamber was always filled to the brim. When you are a presiding officer, not only that your colleagues are assessing your capacity or capability to manage the House, the press is also involved in assessing whatever is happening at plenary.
“The press is a very important segment of the society. Other commoners are always in the chamber to listen to the proceedings of the House.
”If a journalist is doing his job and he is barred from covering the House, I don’t think it will be condoned.”
In his reaction, a former Secretary to the State Government, SSG and a veteran journalist, Elder Ralph Egbu, strongly condemned the action of the speaker and wondered why journalists would not boycott the activities of the House in protest.
He blamed media practitioners for their weakness in fighting their own cause, recalling that such a humiliation would not go without a consequence in his active days.
“When people know you are critical they don’t toy with you”.
Apparently referring to the leadership weakness of media practitioners in the state, the elder statesman and former information commissioner regretted that the speaker might get away with the action.
”When there is a vacuum, people will exploit it. But when people know there will be consequences, they will be cautious.
”Boycott that House or start writing deliberately and they will respect you. But you will not do it. When I was practising, they feared us”.
Reacting, a former Commissioner for Information, Chief John Kalu, described the speaker’s action as dictatorial and an attempt to gag the press.
The former commissioner, who also described the incident as “a new low” in the state, said the action is in contrast with the humility of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on whose wings the speaker and other Labour Party members came into power.
“The quest to silence free press and muzzle opposition by all means are the hallmarks of dictators empowered by emperors and it is a big shame that Emeruwa was elected on the ticket of Labour Party seen by many as a progressive political party.
“I wish to call on President Bola Tinubu, leaders of the National Assembly and civil society organisations led by the free press to speak up now and stop the emerging autocracy in Abia State.
The former xommissioner called on the speaker to tender unreserved apology to the media and to immediately bring back the Enyimba Correspondent.
“I hereby call on Speaker Emeruwa to, as a matter of urgency, immediately apologize and recall Enyimba TV and Radio journalist to the people’s House and inaugurate Aaron Uzodike at the next legislative date.
“Abia State is not an empire for an emperor and his ‘hallelujah officials’, but rather a democratic state under the rule of law with full observance of media freedom and independence.”
He also called on civil society organisations to rise against any attempt to intimidate and gag the press.
Reacting, a rights activist and the Executive Director, Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, Comrade Nnanna Nwafor, described the action as a manifestation of dictatorship.
He said it was a display of the speaker’s lack of regard for the media, an action, which he said was unacceptable.
”It is unfortunate and the speaker has played the role of dictatorship. It shows that he has no respect for the press.
“It is an impairment of the freedom of the press and expression. It does not show that he believes in democratic principles. This is highly unacceptable.”
A prominent lawyer and public affairs analyst, Mr Mike Ndu, in his own reaction, described the action of the speaker as undemocratic.
He said a public officer holder, especially the number three citizen should be able to put his temperament under check.
”It is quite undemocratic. It is against the freedom of press. In as much as he has not violated any law, he has violated the principles of democracy. It is condemnable.
”As the number three man in the state who is representing his people, he ought not to have behaved that way as a public officer. The House of Assembly is not a private office”.
