By Daniel Eteghe
LAGOS— Following the ejection of aviation correspondents at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, National President of the National Union of Journalists, NUJ, Mallam Mohammed Garba, yesterday, said he did not  see pressmen as posing security threat to the country as alleged by the government.

Speaking to newsmen at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Mallam Garba, noted that journalists were part and parcel of nation building, stressing that he saw no reason why the government should chase them out from the press centre at the presidential wing of the airport.

He described the government’s action as “surprising” and frowned at the spurious allegations, including threat to national security, leveled against the newsmen.

He said: “This allegation is not acceptable. I don’t see how a pressman will be a security threat. Journalists have contributed a lot to this country. I don’t know why we are treated this way. As far as this issue is concerned, it is unbecoming of whoever has done it.”

“The issue of security is not our responsibility; it is the responsibility of the government. So I don’t see any pressman as a security threat to our country. This act is unacceptable to us as a body. I thank God that I am in Lagos and we will use this opportunity to speak with our editors, if we don’t report what is affecting us, it will be very bad.

He noted that there were lots of politics on the matter. “We have realiaed that things are not moving the way they should. There is a lot of politics on the issue,”  adding that the Federal Government led by President Goodluck Jonathan was going against the Freedom of Information Act, that it had passed into law, stressing that he saw no reason why journalists should be treated the way they were treated by government.

If we are not careful, Nigeria will be one of the countries flouting the issue of freedom of the press, noting that by the act taken by the government, it means that the government does not have regards for journalists.

“I am using this opportunity to appeal to the Minister of Information Mallam Labaran Maku and the Minister of Aviation Princess Stella Oduah to resolve this problem confronting journalists at the airport. We are partners in progress in moving this country forward,” he added.