Idama Edward l Tuesday, April 24, 2018
LAGOS, Nigeria – Publicity Secretary of All Progressive Congress(APC) Lagos State Mr.Joe Igbokwe was shouted upon, booed and forced out of stage at the weekend during the 4th Anniversary lecture of TheNiche newspaper held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The APC image maker, who was one of the discussants had attempted to calm frayed nerves and assuage the minds of many in the audience who are disappointed by recent utterance of President Muhammed Buhari that Nigerian youths are indolent and lazy waiting for handouts but he got what he did not bargain for.
The angry audience almost became unrully, shouted him him down when he attempted to justify the president’s speech through series of assumptions in attempt to justify and contestualise what the President meant.
The Lecture with the theme Development Reporting and Hysteria Journalism in Nigeria was delivered by one of the youthful Presidential aspirants, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and current President of the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation.
While speaking Igbokwe defended the policies of the federal government as well as those of the ruling party. According to him, it has become imperative for Nigerians to join hands with the government and the party to ask those on the looters list to return what they have stolen.
However things took a turn for the worse for Mr. Joe Igbokwe when he attempted to defend the speech credited to President Buhari on Nigerian youth been lazy as he was shouted down, booed and forced out of stage by the crowed which was made up mostly young people who had come to hear Prof Moghalu talk about credible journalism and his shot at the Presidency to turn things around in Nigeria.
The boos grew louder as Igbokwe tried to calm the audience down, when the MC saw the fact the he was not making any form of progress the compere had to take over the podium and he was walked off the stage by some members of the organizing committee .
Igbokwe, who was one of the panel of Discussants was actually the last to speak. The panel had Mrs. Funke Egbemode, President,Nigeria Guild of Editors and MD New Telegraph,Obinna Nwosu, former DMG Access Bank,Prof.Fred Aja Agwu,Kola Ologbodiyan National PRO, PDP and President Media Rights Agenda, Mr. Edetaen Ojo.
