Governor Eno Defends Dismissal Of Channels TV Crew

The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno has defended the dismissal of Channels TV correspondent, Chris Mofatt and his cameraman from the Government House Uyo Press Corps, insisting that the move was done in good faith and not with any punitive intention.

Naija News reports that this came in the wake of widespread condemnation of the action, which followed the airing of a video where Governor Eno was seen warning his political appointees to prepare for a potential defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The video, which went viral, showed Eno advising his appointees to align themselves with the looming political shift. The incident led to the suspension of Mofatt and his crew, a decision that sparked public outcry.

In response to the backlash, Eno, at the commissioning of the upgraded 14.8KM Ikot Ubo-Odot Road in Nsit Ubium and Nsit Atai Local Government Areas, defended his decision.

He clarified that the Channels TV crew was not dismissed, but rather reassigned according to standard procedure.

Eno explained, “It is within the purview of the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to change correspondents within the Government House. This is practiced all over the world. If you have served at a post for up to 10 years, and the CPS decides to ask for a replacement, that is not a fight.

“It is within the prerogative of his office. The governor does not even have to know. So, there is no problem. This afternoon, Channels is here beaming us live. We work with all media houses.”

The governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to working with the media, acknowledging the critical role the media plays in nation-building. “We value the media as our partners and will continue to work with them,” he stated.

Sources from the Government House who spoke with Vanguard revealed that the controversy erupted after the Channels TV cameraman released the video, leading to what was described as “hell breaking loose” when it went viral.

The CPS reportedly took issue with the fact that the video was meant to remain an internal matter, and the governor was reportedly angered that it was made public.

Lawyer and activist, Inebehe Effiong, reacted to the development in a chat with Vanguard, criticising the governor’s actions. He pointed out the inconsistency in Eno’s response, particularly as the governor had previously expressed intentions to defect from the PDP to the APC. Effiong questioned why Eno would be upset over the media coverage of his own announcement.

Effiong said, “This is the man who calls himself a pastor. He wants to defect from PDP to APC. He announced his intention to defect, but he is upset that Channels TV published a video of his announcement.

“Channels could not have covered the meeting without an invitation. They could not have recorded the meeting secretly. If you are proud of your planned defection, why are you targeting the media for doing its job?”

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