Buhari Did Not Bar Media Houses In Benue Meeting — Presidency

The Presidency has denied stories making rounds that President Muhammadu Buhari barred some media houses from coverage of the President’s Town Hall Meeting in Benue State on Monday.

The Presidency said this in a statement issued at its Twitter handle, @NGRPresident.

It wrote: “Reports that the Presidency barred some media houses from coverage of the President’s Town Hall Meeting in Benue are incorrect.

“Press accreditation/access for the event was NOT handled by the Presidency.”

It also added: “Standard practice is that on occasions like this, host governments are in charge of media accreditation.

“We encourage media houses to clarify their facts before publication, to avoid peddling falsehood and misinformation.”

President Buhari had arrived Benue State as part of his moves to console with states affected by attacks by Fulani herdsmen crisis, chief among which is Benue.

During the visit, Buhari had stated that he never knew the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotum Idris, did not comply with his directive to temporarily pitch tent in the state.

The comment had sparked a wide range of criticism resulting to the President issuing query to the police boss.

Reacting to the comment, former aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr Reno Omokri wrote on his Twitter page:

“Someone who doesn’t know the whereabouts of his own school certificates, should we be surprised that he doesn’t know the whereabouts of his own IG of Police?

“A President without knowledge of his appointees is like a tree without roots! That is why Nigeria is drifting under Buhari.”

Writing further, he added:

“7 Things Buhari DOES NOT Know:

The whereabouts of his IGP

That Ghana is less corrupt than Nigeria

That West Germany no longer exists

That his VP’s name is not ‘Osinbade’

Who padded his various budgets

Who reinstated and promoted Maina

That women don’t belong to ‘other room’.”