Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Tuesday, May 28, has denied walking out on journalists covering the activities of the works ministry. 

It was reported that Umahi abruptly left the Press Hall where correspondents were gathered, saying dismissively that the press was nonexistent. It was gathered that after reciting the national anthem and pledge, the minister ended the meeting with a wave of hand, saying the press did not exist. 

He said; 

“There is no press here. The press conference will not be held again. The permanent secretary and other directors should follow me to my office. The press is non-existent.”

Accompanied by other directors, Umahi then reportedly departed from the conference hall to his office without remorse or apology.

However, the minister’s Special Adviser (Media), Orji U. Orji, has described the reports as a misrepresentation of facts, saying that the shift of the press briefing was due to “unforeseen circumstances.”

The statement read; 

“It is to be noted that the decision of the management of the Ministry to reschedule the press briefing to a more convenient date was in good faith and was communicated to the audience of all present. My office took further steps to apologise and appeal to the revered journalists who agreed with me that the inconveniences caused by shifting the press briefing to another day were not deliberate.

“I must commend very highly the teeming members of the fourth estate of the realm who understood the explanations made by me on the exigencies that caused the deferral of the press briefing by the management of the Federal Ministry of Works. I must also invite to the altar of development journalism, the insignificant few who decided to go sensational by choosing unrelated captions to attract the interest of readers, just to smear the reputation of some of our celebrated leaders.”

Umahi noted that the ministry has an “unwavering” relationship with journalists “as we see each other as partners in the development of our dear nation.”