The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has listed the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun, and two governors in its Book of Infamy, while honouring the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi.
The Book of Infamy was unveiled by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday at the Second Conference and Annual General Meeting of IPI Nigeria.
The two governors, who made up the list of three persons to first go into the Book of Infamy, were those of Akwa Ibom State, Imo Eno; and Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago.
While Egbetokun was said to have failed to heed the calls by IPI to stop the arbitrary arrests of journalists nationwide by his operatives, Eno barred the crew of Channels TV from covering the activities of the Akwa Ibom State Government House.
For Bago, he ordered the closure of Badeggi FM, a private radio station.
Despite the appeal by IPI Nigeria for reconsideration of their decisions, which they had no powers to, both Bago and Eno refused to back down.
For the DG of the DSS, he was described as a listening head of a sensitive government agency who has listened to interventions by the IPI and corrected wrongdoings pointed out to him.
Top on the list of such was the removal from the government’s watchlist of the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, after 40 years.
Ajayi was also credited with the quick release of journalists wrongly arrested by the secret police.
Responding to the position of the IPI Nigeria, as presented by its President, Musikilu Mojeed, during the unveiling of the Book of Infamy, Vice President Shettima said he would reach out to all those accused of having breached the rights of journalists.
He invited Mojeed to travel with him to Akwa Ibom State, where he would be visiting soon, to resolve the issue Eno had with Channels TV.
He also promised to reach out to Bago, whom he described as his friend, and Egbetokun.[The Eagle Online]