Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has spoken about the recent removal of Channels TV reporter Chris Mofatt and his cameraman from the press team at the Government House in Uyo. He said the decision was not made to punish anyone, but was done for the right reasons.

The removal came after a video of the governor talking about leaving his party, the PDP, to join the ruling APC started trending online. Because of this, the Channels TV crew was taken off the Government House press list.

However, Governor Eno said the reporters were not really “evicted.” Instead, they were simply replaced as part of normal media practice. He said such changes happen everywhere and are not unusual.

He explained that the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) has the right to change the media crew covering the Government House. If a reporter has been working in the same place for many years, it is okay for the CPS to bring in someone new.

The governor said this kind of decision does not need his approval. In fact, he pointed out that Channels TV is still broadcasting their events live, showing that there’s no problem between them.

Governor Eno also said that his government respects the media and sees them as important partners in building the nation. He promised to continue working with all media houses.

On the other hand, a lawyer and activist, Inebehe Effiong, said he was surprised that the governor got upset with Channels TV. The station had aired the video of the governor talking about switching parties. The lawyer said Channels TV could not have covered that meeting without being invited, meaning they were simply doing their job.