By Nsa David
Journalists in Calabar, the Cross River State capital were on Tuesday afternoon walked out of the town hall meeting organised by the minister for Niger Delta Affairs minister, Pastor Usani Usani for Nigeria’s vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo to meet with the Christian community in the state.
The journalists were seated at the Calabar International Convention Center, venue for the event when Mr. Osinbajo arrived at a few minutes past noon. And after a few formalities, the master of ceremony directed all journalists to stop filming and taking images and step outside.
“Journalists were taking both still and motion pictures when the vice president came in and they announced that there should be no more movement. The national anthem was sung and they announced that there should be no more recording and the camera men were directed out of the hall,” said CrossRiverWatch’s Sunday Efa.
“My colleagues walked out and I had to remove my jacket which identifies me as a staff of CrossRiverWatch to prevent them from walking me out too. However, they said that an interview can be arranged with the vice president after the event,” she added.
The meeting was aimed at discussing and charting a way forward for the Christian faith in the country especially amidst the killings and attacks on churches.
Cross River Governor, Senator Ben Ayade, his deputy, Professor Ivara Esu; Chairman, governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and several other clergymen were in attendance at the event which the Cross River State’s chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria has since dissociated itself from.