By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The Journalists for Democratic Rights, (JODER), has asked the former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, to explain the source of the funding for the many trips of inspecting projects in states governed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Fani-Kayode has toured Zamfara, Oyo and Cross River where he visited the governors and commissioned some of their projects.
During his tour of Cross River, Fani-Kayode, had verbally attacked a journalist with the Daily Trust for asking him who was bankrolling his trips.
JODER said the question which elicited the outburst of Fani-Kayode cannot be swept under the carpet.
In a statement by JODER’s Executive Director, Adewale Adeoye, the body said the reporter’s question was legitimate.
“Nigerians want to know who funds Mr Femi Fani-Kayode’s trip to launder images of state Governors.
“How much? Who pays the bills? The legitimate questions remain.
“Neither fury, anger nor threats can envelop this legitimate demand,” the group said.
JODER explained that Fani-Kayode showed an inglorious trait of intolerance, nasty instinct, a spiteful culture and a shameful, revolting attitude to a request for transparency in an issue that involves public order.
“It is important for Nigerians to know who was funding the trips of Mr Fani Kayode.
“In any democratic country, the reporter’s question was legitimate.
“It is the right of Nigerians to know if the trips were being funded from the public purse, whether the funds being expended were drawn from the sweat of the people in those states,” JODER stated.
JODER said Fani-Kayode was being smart by half by attempting to divert public attention from the main issue of who funds his trip and if he had collected funds from those states he has been visiting and how much he had collected.
“The former Minister does not run a charity. He is not the official image maker of the State Governors he has been visiting. He is not the Chief Press Secretary of those states. Nigerians are anxious to know what purpose his visits were designed to address and at what cost,” JODER said.
