Posted by By Jide Osokoya/Abiodun Onafuye on
The Ogun State House of Assembly has barred the Gateway Radio and Television stations from covering its proceedings, citing their partisanship in the airing of its activities.
The Ogun State House of Assembly has barred the Gateway Radio and Television stations from covering its proceedings, citing their partisanship in the airing of its activities.
At its 14th legislative day on Tuesday, 1 July, 2008, at the Assembly Chambers, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, after a two-week overseas parliamentary trip, the lawmakers prevented the television and radio stations from covering their proceedings. The Speaker, Hon. Tunji Egbetokun, said 'this house will so much appreciate if our two state-owned stations could give us some space." Highly embarrassed, the five representatives from the Ogun State owned broadcast outfits quietly walked out of the chamber. The Speaker's action, P.M.News gathered, was not unconnected with the refusal of the two stations to broadcast the activities of the house, since the change of baton in the House. They were believed to be dancing to the tune of the state Governor,Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
At Tuesday's session, the ex-speaker, Hon. Titi Oseni, stayed briefly and took her leave shortly after proceedings commenced. Efforts to speak with her proved abortive as she claimed that she had a very important appointment. She, however, appealed to the journalists to meet her by 4 p.m., but she didn't honour the appointment. Speaking with P.M.News, the Chief Whip of the House, Hon. Alli Maruf Musa, stated that 'there is peaceful co-existence between the legislature and the executive. The governor is our leader who always carries us along in whatever he wants to do, and the new Speaker, Hon. Tunji Egbetokun, is a young, vibrant, dynamic go-getter.
'He is not a siddon-look Speaker, and he knows what is at stake. So, I strongly believe that with the two focused men at the helms of affairs, the state will witness rapid development and tremendous change in the next one year."