Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, has denied allegations that he snubbed journalists who attended his ministry’s invitation for a news conference in Abuja.
The controversy stemmed from an incident where Umahi allegedly walked out on journalists during his turn to present his ministry’s scorecard after one year of President Bola Tinubu’s presidency.
Addressing the matter in Abakaliki after participating in activities marking Gov. Francis Nwifuru’s one year in office, Umahi described the allegation as untrue.
He clarified that his intention was to express gratitude to select media houses for their commendable coverage of his ministry’s activities, especially during President Tinubu’s project inaugurations in Lagos.
“They all worked hard for us during President Bola Tinubu’s inauguration of projects in Lagos, and I wanted to thank them profusely,” Umahi explained.
“I wanted the appreciation to be a surprise to the selected media houses, but my media aide didn’t handle it properly.”
The minister detailed that the event was initially set for 2 p.m. on May 28, but was postponed to 3 p.m. due to a clash with his flight schedule to Ebonyi for the governor’s project inaugurations.
Umahi recounted, “My aide informed me that the event was set by 3:30 p.m., but when I got to the ministry’s hall, there was no single camera. The only camera on sight was from my ministry, and I became very angry with the aide.”
He then decided to reschedule the event to Monday, June 3, to maintain the element of surprise and manage the audience effectively.
“Reports of shunning journalists do not exist because I cannot invite and shun them at the same time,” Umahi stated, emphasizing that the incident was a misunderstanding rather than an intentional slight.
Umahi assured that he remains committed to appreciating the media houses he considers special to the ministry and reiterated his respect for the press.