State House, Abuja, de-accredits 25 media correspondents

The Press Corps of the State House, Abuja, has withdrawn the media accreditations of at least 25 news media, Persecondnews reports. Of the 96 accredited media organizations hitherto covering the Presidency, 25 tags given to their reporters and photojournalists were retrieved.

A few online media and camera men, were, however, retained.

Some media representatives who have either lost their jobs or have retired and transited to online newspapers and cameramen of some media houses such as BenTV, ViewTV, GalaxyTV, LTV, Chinese TV, Pilot (reporter and cameraman), Champion newspapers (reporter and cameraman), Authority (cameraman), Koode Radio (which had two reporters, one was let go) are the affected in the de-accreditation exercise.

It is customary for new administrations to re-accredit State House correspondents.

Persecondnews recalls that between 2003 and 2007 in the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, his spokeswoman, the late Mrs Oluremi Oyo had de-accredited some correspondents which drew the flak of media professions, citing security reasons.