Contrary to reports, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has said that members of his media crew did not breach any protocol during yesterday’s colloquium organised by the state government to mark the 60th anniversary of the Midwest Referendum.
Recall that Shaibu stormed out of the venue of the colloquium held at the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub in Benin, after his media crew were denied access to the venue by the governor’s security and media aides.
It was gathered that members of the Shaibu’s media crew who were already at work were identified one after the other and forced out of the venue midway into the programme by the governor’s security and media aides.
Shaibu, it was learnt, left his sitting position in the hall and stepped out to inquire about the whereabout of his media crew after realizing that none of the crew members were with him inside the venue.
In a viral video, the deputy governor could be heard telling the governor’s aides that his crew “will go (in) with me”, a plea which the aides turned down, citing “instructions from above.” With his pleas unheeded, the deputy governor said he could not be in an event where his media crew was barred. He subsequently left the venue.
Following the incident, the state government announced the disbandment of the Deputy Governor’s media crew last night.
The Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, in a statement, said some journalists, who claimed to be the media crew of the Deputy Governor, attempted to force their way into the hall, where the governor and other invited dignitaries were already seated.
“This act was contrary to the accredited protocol that had been established for the media coverage of the event. The orchestrated and stage-managed walkout, and disruption is highly regrettable,” Nehikhare claimed.
But, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Ebomhiana Musa, the Deputy Governor said the Commissioner twisted the fact in his (Nehikhare’s) response on the attack of members of the media crew attached to office of the deputy governor.
Speaking with journalists, on Tuesday, Musa described the commissioner’s claim that his principal’s media crew breached protocol as “silly, senseless, white and ridiculous lies against him (Shaibu) and his media crew”.
The deputy governor’s chief press secretary noted that his principal and his media crew were already inside the venue and never breached protocol or attempted to force their way into the hall.
