Tobias Sylvester
A Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has apologised for insulting a Daily Trust journalist, Eyo Charles, during a press conference in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
KanyiDaily had shared a viral video showing the moment Fani-Kayode was raining insults at Eyo Charles for asking him a “stupid question” during a press conference on Thursday 20, August 2020.
Charles had asked Fani-Kayode who bankrolled his recent tour of some southern states. But the former minister, who was infuriated by the question, said the journalist was stupid.
Reacting to the incident on Tuesday, Fani-Kayode said he had no apology to offer, insisting that he was insulted by the question thrown at him by the journalist at the press conference.
But the former minister, in a series of tweets on Wednesday morning, said he regretted his action which had made him to offend many of his friends in the media.
“I met with my advisors and I wish to say the following. I hereby withdraw the word “stupid” which I used in my encounter with a journalist in Calabar. I have many friends in the media who I offended by losing my cool and using such words. I hereby express my regrets for doing so.
“I do however wish to state categorically that no threat of physical harm was ever made to the journalist in question and neither did I send anyone to threaten him. Anyone that says otherwise is lying and I challenge them to bring the proof.
“I would never seek to physically harm a journalist. For the last 30 years, I have defended and worked with journalists and fought for the right of freedom of expression. I am also very close to many in that profession.
“I would be the last to seek to disparage those that are honourable and noble within its ranks. I hope that this will assuage the pain and anger of anyone that was hurt or offended by this ugly episode. I have now put this matter behind me and moved on. Now my tour of the South continues. Moving to another state today!”
This is coming after the journalist, Eyo Charles revealed that after the incident which sparked outrage among Nigerians, he was threatened by a security agent attached to the former minister, and had to “sneak” out of the place.
