- Ignores media
Barely 24 hours after the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, honoured and rewarded health workers in the fight against COVID-19 in the State, anger has continued to trail his action.
Indeed journalists attached to the Office of the Governor have flayed Sanwo-Olu’s failure to recognize them as part of the frontline workers.
Sanwo-Olu, on May 29, marked his one year in office and honoured 10 health workers and a gateman at the Yaba Isolation Centre for their efforts in the fight against Covid-19, without a word of encouragement to the media, purveyors of information about the government’s programmes.
One journalist said:
“It is not only the health workers that should have been honoured and rewarded. What about us media that work day and night, visiting isolation centres with the governor? We are also exposed to the risk of contracting the virus in the course of discharging our duties. We are the ones disseminating information to the public, attend daily briefings, yet the governor failed to recognize,” lamented a female journalist.
“The most painful part of it is that the governor even rewarded and honoured the gateman at the isolation centre. Does it mean we – the media – are not worthy of recognition and honour?” another journalist asked rhetorically.
“Even at the venue, we were not recognised. Only health workers were given respect in spite of all our efforts in and contributions to the fight against the virus through our timely coverage and reportage day and night. It is high time the media was given its due respect and recognition,” he lamented.
Some of the health workers honoured at the event included Dr Sunday Adesola, Mrs. Basirat Adeoye, Mr. Folarin Amosun, Professor Sunday Omilabu, Mr. Olufemi Akinade, Dr Bisola Adebayo, and Mr. Olanrewaju Aladetuyi.