Following the purported ban placed on two journalists in Ebonyi state from visiting the Government House or any government facility in the State, the umbrella body of journalists in Nigeria, the NUJ has warned the state governor, Dave Umahi to tread with caution and put his act of impunity under control, warning that the union will hold him accountable if anything untoward happens to any journalist in the state.

Describing the purported ban as a joke taken too far, the union wondered where the governor derived his power to stop journalists on lawful duty from accessing public places, insisting that he or any other government official has no right to determine media contents.

In a release signed by the Union's National Secretary, Shuaibu Usman Leman, and made available to ABN TV, NUJ while warning that it cannot condone attempts by the governor to destroy the profession and practitioners in the state accused him of instigating attacks on its members.

"The NUJ National Secretariat condemns the continuous desperate action of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State to destroy Journalists and Journalism in his state. The most recent development in which Governor Umahi was instigating attacks against Journalists in the State is frightening to the Union as it signals clearly that such attacks on the media are not going to abate any soon.

"We regret to note that Governor Umahi is ingloriously attaining notoriety in his continuous harassment, detentions and insults on Journalists who dare to report what he feels are against the interest of his government. As professionals whose responsibility is to monitor governance and hold Government accountable to the masses, Journalists now live in perpetual fear of being arrested by security operatives or attacked by faceless assailants without any just cause in Ebonyi State.

"The NUJ has repeatedly cautioned against such acts of impunity and stressed that it is worth noting that press freedom is key to achieving credible democracy and this freedom includes the right to seek and receive information from all available sources to enable formulation of proper opinions to whomsoever one desires and to do so through whichever means it is feasible to communicate. Such attacks we believe are meant to curtail such freedoms.

Source: https://abntv.ng/2020/04/just-in-stop-this-impunity-we-cant-watch-you-destroy-journalism-nuj-warns-gov-umahi/

Cc; lalasticlala, Mynd44

Forget it our journalists have long lost their voice

My brother

If the NUJ hadn't reacted this way to the brazen impunity, I would have assumed they're cowed or "brown enveloped'

Irresponsible journalism should not be encouraged but banning Journalists from all government establishments is akin to banishing them from the state. Not to even talk of the subtly instigating the masses against them.

If the Governor feels he's maligned by the report, he should sue the journalists when the court resumes instead of acting like a dictator.

He better be addressed

This man has made himself authoritative and nobody dare question his authority.

The governor also have agent on social media to monitoring people that will attack his maladministration.

Lt.Gen Dave Umahi.

Gov Dave is a very wicked man,if you doubt me go to Abakaliki and ask about him.... selfish , greedy and heartless man.

This Buhari ass licker doesn't know what he is up against. You can't intimidate d press.

Like Buhari like Umahi. Tyrants

The dude need to trend carefully, Hooligans politics era is over that's why people like Fayose, Dino and Ffk are now relegated to social media activist

Umahi should stop disgracing Ebonyi.

He is trying but Ebonyi needs a lot of works.

Most time, it seems Umahi is distracted.

Fighting free speech in a democracy is a most foolish mission.