Umahi Makes U-turn, Lifts Ban on Journalists

Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, on Tuesday, pleaded with journalists in the state, saying the disagreement between him and them was unintentional.

Umahi, who described the squabble as a case between ‘a father and his son’, noted that it was better to work in unison with the media at all times.

Recall that Umahi, last week, arrested the correspondents of The Sun and Vanguard newspapers in the state for allegedly reporting falsehood on Lassa fever and military invasion in Ebonyi communities.

The governor went further to bar the reporters from the Government House for life, adding that they should not come near government facilities.

However, in a statewide live broadcast on Tuesday, the governor called on the media and Nigerians to disregard what happened, stressing that both his government and the media were partners in progress.

Umahi said, “I have said that the unfortunate incident with press was not intentional but I am asking everybody to disregard what has happened.  This is because we are all partners in progress and let us work together. But I will advise that you please cross-check information.

“I specifically asked that Sun and Vanguard reporters be invited to this broadcast; as a father, when you beat a child with one hand, you bring the child back with another hand.

SEE ALSO: Japan Donate Test Kits, PPE, Hand Sanitizers to FG

“I believe strongly that if anybody wants to intentionally bring you down, he can’t pull you down standing; he will certainly go down with you. And you may even rise above him. But the single way to be happy in life is to be happy with success.”

He added, “I want to invite the press for partnership and also ask them to also please help build the state. Nobody said you should do preferential reporting. Nobody said you should not report the truth or report falsehood because our state is peculiar. Everybody has forgotten what happened; let’s work together.”