Journalists were on Tuesday barred from entering the Anambra State House of Assembly complex on the orders of the Speaker, Rt Hon. Somtochukwu Udeze.
Trouble began when the New Telegraph correspondent, accompanied by other reporters, arrived at the Assembly gate but was stopped by police officers stationed at the entrance. The officers insisted that journalists could only gain access upon clearance from one Emma Madu, who they said was acting on the Speaker’s directives.
When contacted, Madu reportedly told the journalists that he had not received any instruction from the Speaker permitting media access to cover the day’s legislative proceedings. The development effectively shut out the press from a public institution, a move many described as a violation of journalists’ rights as guaranteed under the Freedom of Information Act.
The incident has raised concerns about transparency and press freedom in the state’s legislative processes.