Arrest, banning of journalists for life: At last, Umahi bows to pressure, pleads with journalists

By Peter Okutu, Abakaliki

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Tuesday pleaded with Journalists to put behind them the recent impasse involving the Correspondent of Vanguard, Mr. Peter Okutu and SUN Correspondent Newspapers, Mr. Chijioke Agwu  and himself.

The Governor had last week ordered the arrest of the two Journalists and equally banned them for Life from entering the Ebonyi State Government House and government facilities in the State.

But in a similar live broadcast on Tuesday at the New Government House, Abakaliki, the Governor stated that the development was not intentional.

He called for media partnership geared towards the development of the State.

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

“There are certain write-ups that people are not happy about and that is why I said please let everybody down tools in love and work together. I specifically asked that the SUN and Vanguard reporters be invited ,as a father when you beat a child with one hand ,you bring the child back with another hand.

“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 of him. But the single way to be happy in life is to be happy with success. 

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