Former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has verbally attacked a Daily Trust reporter, Eyo Charles for asking a question during a press briefing in Calabar, Cross River State.
Thelagostimes gathered that the former minister began a tour of some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) states in July and visited Cross River last week.
At the end of the tour, Dani Kayode held a press conference and reportedly showered encomiums on Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River.
However, the Daily Trust reporter, Eyo, had asked the ex-minister if his recent trips were being sponsored. The ex-mimister immediately flared up at the question.
Fani-Kayode, who described the reporter as “very stupid”, said he is not a poor man who would beg for funds.
“What type of insulting question is that? Which bankroll? To do what? Who can give me money for anything? Who do you think you are talking to? Go and report yourself to your publisher? Please don’t insult me here. I don’t want to take any questions from this man.
“I could see from your face before you got here, how stupid you are. Don’t ever talk to me like that. Who do you think you’re talking to. Bankroll who? You think I am one of those ones you… from who, when, how? You have a small mind, very small mind. Don’t judge me by your own standards.
“I have been in politics since 1990… I have been locked up many times by this government. Suffered. I have been persecuted unlike most of the politicians you follow for brown envelope. Don’t ever judge me by that standard. I spend I don’t take and I am not a poor man — I have never been and I will never be.
“Bankroll how? Don’t ever suggest that to me. I am sorry that was deeply insulting. I don’t often get annoyed in press conference. I have been doing this type of thing for so many years. Don’t you ever make that kind of suggestion to me. Bankroll who? A former minister, a lawyer? Don’t ever try that with me again o, please. You see me well, don’t ever. Try it with others, but with me, don’t! I will hit you hard and if anybody sent you to ask that question and gave you brown envelope, go and tell them that you got more than they bargained for to do it.
“Very rude. It is not the standard of Daily Trust at all and I will report you to your publisher. Thank you. Somebody that has been on the road for how long, you are coming to talk about that. Very stupid”, he said.
Meanwhile, reacting to the incident on Tuesday, president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Chris Isiguzo, said Fani-Kayode had no right to attack the reporter in his line of duty.
According to him, the action of the ex-minister exposed him as an intolerant and unstable person who will not want his activities closely scrutinised by the media.
“By denigrating the journalist, Fani Kayode has exposed himself the more as an intolerant and unstable person who will not want his activities closely scrutinised by the Media.
“It is instructive to remind the likes of Fani Kayode that it is the Constitutional right of Journalists to monitor and keep a check on people and institutions in power”, the statement read.