Following the slapping of a journalist by a member representing Ohaji/Egbema state constituency at the Imo State House of Assembly, the Coalition of Journalists Against Corruption (COJAC) has strongly
condemned the embarrassing situation.
Speaking to newsmen in Owerri, Imo State capital, the Convener of COJAC, Chigozie Uzosike described the act as not only uncivil but uncalled for adding that the lawmaker has no ‘locus inquo’ to slap a journalist on duty especially that it happened in a public function.
Uzosike posited that the lawmaker was trying to set bad undemocratic precedence by harassing the Nigerian Horn Newspaper Reporter, Destiny Isinwa.
The Coalition therefore urged the lawmaker, who is a public figure, to save the House of Assembly’s image and that of his constituency by publicly apologizing to the journalist involved and other journalists
who felt slighted, the NUJ Imo State Council, the Publishers of Newspapers in the state and to the civility of the society adding that if those were not done, he would have dragged the Imo State House
of Assembly image and others to the mire.
The Convener of COJAC, who is also the Secretary of Imo State Editors’ Forum called on politicians not to harass any journalist on duty nor drag the journalists into the murky waters of politics adding that
journalists are there to represent divergent views of politics.
Send your news, press releases/articles to augustinenwadinamuo@yahoo.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @reportersinfo and on Facebook on facebook.com/primetimereporters or call the editor on 07030661526, 08053908817.
