Why we barred TV station from covering proceeding in the Senate – Saraki

Through his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Senate President said the National Assembly by extension, had nothing against the press.
Naija News had earlier reported that broadcast Journalists covering the Nigerian Senate on Thursday boycotted the coverage of Senate after some television stations were barred  from coverage of plenary proceedings based on allegations that the cameramen from such media are constituting themselves into a nuisance and disturbing senate activities.

Thirteen television stations had been accredited to cover proceedings in the chamber but the coverage was now restricted to African Independent Television, AIT, Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Channels Television, Silverbird Television, Television Continental and the in-house New Age.

The Senate Press Corps had protested against the restriction and filed a petition to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Abdullahi.

Saraki explained that the restriction was only for “physical entry” of persons into the chamber.

He said plenaries were usually broadcast at the Press Centre and proceedings could be monitored on television.

He told Punch, “We must restrict physical access into the chamber. It is not everybody who carries a camera and claims to be a journalist that should be allowed in the chamber.

“If you look at the new list of approved media houses critically, you will see that all sides have been considered – both government, pro-government, opposition stations are there.

“We must restrict physically entry into the chamber. There is a gallery at the chamber that is open to every observer of the plenary. Some things are going on in that place, which we cannot make public in print.

“We can only restrict physical presence of persons in the chamber. There is even a press gallery, which all journalists have unhindered access to. There are people who pretend to be pressmen in order to gain entry into the chamber. Not everybody who holds a camera should be allowed in.”