… NUJ, group ask FG to wade in
TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
THE Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State Council, and a group, Advocacy for Advancement of Peace and Harmony in Africa Initiative (ADAPHAI) have slammed the Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Adejare Bello, for publicly assaulting a journalist in the state.
Adejare, a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, unleashed attack on the journalist working with the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC), identified as Adeniyi Akinromade, while rendering social service in a gridlock.
It was gathered that there was gridlock at the Oke-Fia axis of Osogbo, the state capital, around 11:00am on Friday and the journalist decided to pass vehicles causing the gridlock, to ensure easy accessibility on the routes.
Bello, on the other hand, was on his way to somewhere along Oke Fia/Government House axis when he and the security personnel attached to him came down from his official vehicle to assault Akinromade.
Akinromade said, “I was on my way to Oke-Fia when I saw the gridlock. I took it upon myself to control some defiant motorists who were trying to manipulate their ways against traffic rule.
“While I was carrying out this, Mr Bello was passing through the road and he felt I was obstructing his movement. He alighted from his vehicle with annoyance in front of the Nigeria Police Microfinance Bank along the axis.”
“Despite telling him that I was a journalist and that I was only carrying out social service, he was slapping me alongside officers attached to him. I was brutalised and embarrassed publicly,” the assaulted journalist explained.
When contacted on the telephone, Bello did not deny assaulting Akinromade.
“I was the only one who slapped him. My police officers were not involved,” he confirmed.
“Tell him (the journalist) to report to the police. He drove against traffic and I slapped him. I was the only one who slapped him and I am not denying that,” he said before dropping the call.
Condemning, in strong terms, the open assault meted out on one of its members, the NUJ, in a statement by the Chairman of the council, Wasiu Ajadosu; and Secretary, Bukola Elufadejin, said it was least expected that a person of Adejare’s status would engage in such public assault against a journalist who was rendering social service in traffic.
The statement described Bello’s action as undignified and frowned that he descended so low to the point of slapping a citizen of Nigeria who he is assigned to protect his interest.
The council noted that it would no longer tolerate attempts by highly placed people to subject journalists to inhuman treatment.
The union therefore demanded an apology from Bello and warned against reccurrence of such act.
Also condemning the incident, ADAPHAI in a statement by its coordinator, Sulaimon Suberu, in Osogbo, said Bello should be penalised.
It said, “This act of hooliganism by Bello is condemnable and unacceptable, it is highly unbecoming of a man of his stature and status, although, he has a history of violence and public disturbance even when he held sway as the speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly.
“It is indeed disheartening that Bello has not changed for better despite his age and present exposure.
“Obviously, this type of character with violent mentality and temperamental nature cannot represent Nigeria anywhere, such personality will definitely disgrace Nigeria as an envoy in a foreign land.”
“We therefore call on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Bello without delay to avert future damage to Nigeria’s image and unimaginable diplomatic odium,” the statement said.
