Three days after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo visited the Nigerian Stock Exchange, reports have emerged that journalists were denied access to cover the event.
Osinbajo visited the NSE on Friday, November 10 to perform the traditional closing gong ceremony and also hold an interactive session with the media.
Three days before the event, the exchange had sent out invitations to journalists through its Media Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Kadiri.
This was followed by a reminder on Thursday. However, the journalists discovered to their dismay, that they had been shut out of the event.
After an enquiry by Vanguard, the NSE responded through its Head of Corporate Communications, Mr. Oluwole Olujimi.
He said that only three journalists from print media and another three from electronic media were cleared to cover, ask questions on behalf of others and syndicate the news to other journalists who cover and monitor developments at the stock exchange.
He went further to say that His Excellency had requested for cancellation of media coverage and had approved only a few media houses.
Kadiri explained further saying that barring journalists from the event was a “new development and an order that was passed on to him this morning.”
On trying to find out the content of the discussion, those that were allowed entry told the Vanguard that the VP was not audible enough and so they could not immediately decipher what he said.
During the event, the vice president met with the President of the NSE, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede. The NSE president did not reveal the focus of the meeting but acknowledged the vice president’s interest in the market.
“We want to thank you most sincerely also with the members of your team who came to interact with us today and we look forward to the follow up discussions that we will have as you indicated during our meeting,” Imoukhuede explained.
