Overzealous
personnel of the United Nation Children and Education Fund (UNICEF) prevented
journalists from covering activities of the United Nation’s peace
ambassador,
Malala Yousafzai, when she visited Maiduguri on Tuesday.
The incident
occurred when Malala was visiting a junior school managed by UNICEF at the
Bakassi Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Maiduguri metropolis.
A senior
officer of the UNICEF asked journalists representing various media
organizations to leave, saying that they were not invited to cover the event.
The official
prevented them from getting access to the school where Malala was meeting
students.
Other
officials humiliated by UNICEF staff include the Borno State Commissioner of
Education, members of the National Assembly, officials of the Borno State
Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and police officers.
“We have
arrangements. Only the foreign media are permitted to enter the venue or snap
pictures of Malala, we do not need local media,” the official said. “Only the
[foreign] press and people in the entourage will go inside.”
Some of the
reporters protested and insisted that they should be allowed to cover the event
for the benefit of Nigerians.
Another
UNICEF staff interjected and began shouting at journalists, saying that they
were not invited to the event.
“People like
you can not come and talk to me. You are a nobody, get out from this place,”
the UNICEF officer told one reporter.
Despite
pleading with the UNICEF officers, the journalists left the IDP camp and school
without covering the event.
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