By Emma Ogbuehi
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has come under severe criticisms from journalists and other social media commentators for his uncomplimentary remarks at a Daily Trust Reporter in a Press Conference. In a viral video, the erstwhile minister was seen pouring invectives on the Reporter for seeking his reaction on insinuations that his country-wide assessment tour of projects by some State Governors, was bankrolled by some people. Fani-Kayode has recently visited Zamfara, Cross River and Anambra, in the exercise.
The question however drew the ire of the erstwhile minister, who in response, deployed such expressions as “Idiot, you are stupid. Don’t ever ask me such question again. You think I am a poor man like you? I will report you to your publisher”.
Nigerians have since been reacting to the umbrage by the former minister, with some being of the opinion that he went overboard. In their argument, Fani-Kayode should have simply ignored the question if he was not comfortable with it.
Commenting on the former minister’s conduct, an educationist, Moshood Isamotu, wrote, “I felt ashamed by the conduct of the FFK. But our media men there (at the press conference) did not give it back to him. He could have dismissed the question and moved on. I expected the other colleagues to defend the Daily Trust guy’s position and his right to ask any question. If I was the journalist, I would walk out on him and insist on my right to ask him the question instead of listening to all the insults. See, what journalism is being turned to in Nigeria.
Public relations expert, Emeka Oparah, said he was angrier at people who were asking for the question that made him to explode “so they can balance their views”. “What stupid views and what silly question would have warranted such vitriolic condescension and expletives on a cowardly, harmless journalist? How and when did we descend so low?” he fumed
An on-line publisher, Uzo Chikere, argued that the former minister, should have answered the “stupid” question and not take such arrogant offence. “If you will not entertain all kinds of questions, do NOT address any sort of press conference. And those lily-livered hand-picked “journalists” saying “sorry sir” to him instead of walking out on him, deserve pity”, he stressed.
Another commentator, Prince Okunade Adekunle Sijuade, simply asked, “Why should he resort to insulting the journalist for probing him? If the question was too hot for him to answer, he should have overlooked it and move to the next question rather than insulting the gentleman of the press”.
Publisher of whirlwindnews.com, Sunny Igboanugo, wrote, “I would have given it back to FFK in equal measures. Nobody should speak to a journalist in this manner and no journalist should take this. Surely, this must be a starter, a novice or a fake journalist. I’m so angry. Who does FFK think he is? The best he could do is to ignore the question. Though I love FFK, like I do Fayose, I think this is unacceptable. It’s insufferable to say the least”
Editor of TheNiche, Emeka Alex Duru, took another route to the issues. He said, “Nobody, nobody could have done that to any of us in Politics Desk during our days, without getting it back, promptly. The problem with Reporters these days, is that of not being on top of their game. You are expected to show courtesies to your host/guest. But the moment you begin to appear beggarly before him/her, you lose it completely. I recall an occasion when we went to Ibadan for an interview session with late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, then, Oyo State governor. We granted him the respect of his excuse of not holding the interview in the night because he was too weak, after a strenuous day. By the morning the next day, we waited for him till 9.00 am. When he did not show up and did not send any message across, we simply took off. We were close to Ibadan Toll Gate, when he sent his aides to fetch us back. We didn’t. We could do so because we didn’t give him the impression that we were idle or hungry. Again, you don’t walk into an interview session without sufficient preparation. And if you don’t have any engaging question, there is no law that says you must ask one. That notwithstanding, FFK failed it woefully. A Kayode Fayemi, Babtunde Fashola or Peter Obi, would have turned the question in such a way that the Reporter would know that he should not have asked such question, assuming the question was wrong, in the first place. Fani-Kayode was wrong and should apologise to the Reporter and his employers.