Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) has reacted to a viral video where a horde of reporters pressured former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon to speak in Hausa during a press briefing that was aired live on the medium.
A viral video of a press conference on Wednesday, February 21 saw Gowon resisting pressure to render a Hausa version of an address he had earlier delivered in English.
The press conference was about the political situation in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso where the former Head of State also touched on the Nigeria/Biafra war.
At the press conference shortly after Gowon met President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he urged leaders of ECOWAS to lift the sanction against the three ECOWAS countries now under military rule.
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VIDEO: Drama as Gowon rebuffs pressure to address press conference in Hausa language
The video of reporters haranguing Gowon to speak in Hausa has been trending on social media.
General Gowon concluded his news briefing in English and some other stations wanted him for translation, that was why they went to him on the table.
— NTA News (@NTANewsNow) February 23, 2024
The press briefing was concluded as planned. NTA's official broadcast language is English. That's why we had to cut off when…
In a statement on its X handle, NTA said: “General Gowon concluded his news briefing in English and some other stations wanted him for translation, that was why they went to him on the table. The press briefing was concluded as planned. NTA’s official broadcast language is English. That’s why we had to cut off when reporters crowded him after he finished reading his statement. NTA staff will not ask for Hausa translation of live coverage for whatever reason.”
