Over 300 foreign journalists accredited for elections – FG

Over 300 foreign journalists accredited for elections – FG

The Federal Government has accredited over 300 foreign journalists
to cover Nigeria’s general elections scheduled for March 28 and April 11.

The Director General, National Orientation Agency, Mr. Mike Omeri,
who said this in an interview with our correspondent, also explained
that more foreign journalists would be accredited before the
commencement of the elections.

He, however, added that accredited foreign journalists would be
expected to adhere to the agency’s guidelines.

He said, “It’s an ongoing process and about 350 foreign journalists
have been accredited already. As they report here, we will give them
the guidelines to follow.”

Omeri said the foreign journalists are from various countries across
the world including the United States of America, United Kingdom,
France, South Africa, Russia, Cameroon, and Democratic Republic of
Congo, among others.

He said, “We have them from all across the world; we have a few
examples like A ljazeera, CNN, BBC, media houses from Congo,
Cameroon Radio stations and so on.”

Reacting to complaints that Nigeria had refused to give some foreign
journalists visa, Omeri said Nigeria, as any other country in the world,
has laid down rules and regulations that guide the issuance of visas to
foreigners which are being adhered to in granting visas to journalists.

He, however, said no foreign journalist that qualifies for a visa will be
denied the opportunity of covering the general elections.

He said, “We do background checks in the process of issuing visas and when some are denied visas, we don’t have to state the reasons why they were denied visas; and no country interferes with the consular affairs of another country.

“The problem is that they (foreign journalists) wanted to submit
(application) today and get accredited tomorrow but there are
procedures for everything and we must follow them, not just because
of the political exigency.”

Dismissing insinuation that the Federal Government may postpone the general election which was previously slated for February 14 and 28, Omeri said government would take no such action except if the
Independent National Electoral Commission chose to do so.

He stressed that the general elections were earlier postponed because
of security reasons among others