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Yar’Adua: Nigerian Mission Throws out Journalist
- By Williams Ekanem
- Published May 11th, 2010
- Washington File
- Unrated
WHAT was supposed to be a rather quiet period for sober reflections turned turbulent at the Nigerian Mission, United Nations, last week as officials engaged in a fistcuff to prevent Abiodun Oluwarotimi, an accredited journalist to the UN, from gaining access into the Nigerian House.
It was the visit of Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, secretary-general of the United Nation, to the Nigerian diplomatic mission to sign the condolence register for late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Eye witness reports say Oluwarotimi, a foreign correspondent of Leadership Newspaper in Nigeria on arrival at the Nigerian Diplomatic Mission on Second Avenue, New York City, for the event, was prevented from entering the premises by the security operatives.
According to the witness, one of the security operatives at the building told the reporter that a standing order has been given by top officials of the Nigerian Mission to stop him from attending the event.
An attempt the reporter to go into the building to cover the UN Secretary-General’s visit, witness say, led to a scuffle that attracted the attention of senior officials of the mission who eventually teamed up with the security operatives to throw Oluwarotimi out of the premises. Oluwarotimi said his predicament started about three weeks ago when he was told by a security official that there has been an order barring him from covering press activities at the mission.
On what could be responsible for the incident, Oluwarotimi said, “This unruly and undiplomatic treatment meted on me by the senior member of staff of the mission is not unconnected with my on-going investigation on the allegations of fraud made against the authority of the Nigerian Mission by the Nigerian Coalition Against Corruption in Diaspora in a petition that the anti-corruption group sent to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Security Council, Foreign Affairs Committees of both Chambers of the National Assembly in Nigeria in March, this year.”
Oluwarotimi said it is actually an act to intimidate him from carrying out his investigation, but that he will refuse to be intimidated but will rather investigate the alleged case of corruption at the mission to its logical conclusion.
When contacted, the head of Chancery told BusinessWorld that it is not true that Oluwarotimi was thrown out, since, according to him, he did not inform the mission that he was coming, more so as it was a private and not meant for press coverage.
Asked of other media organisations that covered the event, the head of Chancery said he was not aware as “they might have sneaked into the event.”
It was the visit of Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, secretary-general of the United Nation, to the Nigerian diplomatic mission to sign the condolence register for late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Eye witness reports say Oluwarotimi, a foreign correspondent of Leadership Newspaper in Nigeria on arrival at the Nigerian Diplomatic Mission on Second Avenue, New York City, for the event, was prevented from entering the premises by the security operatives.
According to the witness, one of the security operatives at the building told the reporter that a standing order has been given by top officials of the Nigerian Mission to stop him from attending the event.
An attempt the reporter to go into the building to cover the UN Secretary-General’s visit, witness say, led to a scuffle that attracted the attention of senior officials of the mission who eventually teamed up with the security operatives to throw Oluwarotimi out of the premises. Oluwarotimi said his predicament started about three weeks ago when he was told by a security official that there has been an order barring him from covering press activities at the mission.
On what could be responsible for the incident, Oluwarotimi said, “This unruly and undiplomatic treatment meted on me by the senior member of staff of the mission is not unconnected with my on-going investigation on the allegations of fraud made against the authority of the Nigerian Mission by the Nigerian Coalition Against Corruption in Diaspora in a petition that the anti-corruption group sent to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Security Council, Foreign Affairs Committees of both Chambers of the National Assembly in Nigeria in March, this year.”
Oluwarotimi said it is actually an act to intimidate him from carrying out his investigation, but that he will refuse to be intimidated but will rather investigate the alleged case of corruption at the mission to its logical conclusion.
When contacted, the head of Chancery told BusinessWorld that it is not true that Oluwarotimi was thrown out, since, according to him, he did not inform the mission that he was coming, more so as it was a private and not meant for press coverage.
Asked of other media organisations that covered the event, the head of Chancery said he was not aware as “they might have sneaked into the event.”
