The Presidency has recalled the Correspondent of Punch Newspapers, Olalekan Adetayo, attached to the State House, Abuja, barely 10 hours after his exp
The Presidency has recalled the Correspondent of Punch Newspapers, Olalekan Adetayo, attached to the State House, Abuja, barely 10 hours after his expulsion from the beat. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, confirmed this development in a message addressed to the Chairman of the State House Press Corps, Mallam Ubale Musa.
The presidential spokesman revealed that the recall of Adetayo followed the intervention of the Director-General of the Department for State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura. According to him, his office and that of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity will resolve the issue on Tuesday.
It would be recalled that Adetayo was interrogated on Monday afternoon by the office of the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the president, Bashir Abubakar, over a story the presidency considered offensive. The correspondent, who spent about 45 minutes with his interrogators, was later escorted out of the Presidential Villa by security operatives.
CSO, Bashir Abubakar
Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, however, posted on his twitter handle on Monday evening that his office was not consulted before Adetayo was expelled from the Villa by the CSO. According to him, an amicable solution to the matter is being worked out by relevant offices in the Villa, adding that President Buhari does not intend to muzzle the media in any way adding that President Buhari is committed to press freedom.
NAN
