Mr Eyo Charles of Daily Trust newspaper, the journalist that got a tongue lashing from former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has shed more light on what led to the incident.
As earlier reported by The Herald, Fani-Kayode had flared up before abruptly ending a press conference in Calabar, Cross River State last Thursday.
The ex-minister had organised the press conference as part of activities marking his tour of some Southern states.
A video of the incident circulating on Twitter shows the ex-minister pouring invective on the journalist for asking what he (Fani-Kayode) deemed a “stupid question”.
Eyo had asked who was bankrolling the ex-minister’s tour.
“The question was sir, you said you have gone round six or seven states to inspect projects undertaken by those governors, and now you are here in Cross River state, rounding off your one-week visit to Governor Ayade. Who is bankrolling you?” he asked.
A visibly-angry Fani-Kayode said the journalist should have known that he was not a poor man and would never be.
He also called the journalist “stupid”.
According to Premium Times, the journalist later said he was ” disorganised” and disoriented by Fani-Kayode’s outburst.
He said he had to apologise after other journalists at the event, which was moderated by Christian Ita, spokesman to Cross River Governor Ben Ayade, said he should not have asked such a question.
Eyo alleged that Fani-Kayode later called his editor to demand his sack.
He further said that he had to hurriedly leave the private hotel where the event held after the ex-minister’s security aide walked up to him and began to interrogate him.
The journalist later said that he regretted apologising to Fani-Kayode, noting that at 53, he was just a little younger than the ex-minister.