The Senate has rescinded its decision to bar eight television stations from covering plenary.
This followed a closed door meeting of the Senate bureaucracy, Senate leadership with the leadership of the Senate Press Corps on Monday.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi disclosed this in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the meeting.
“This issue has been resolved amicably. And tomorrow (Thursday) the chamber is going to have full complement of the Senate Press Corps.
“We have also resolved that the issue within the chamber of where they (cameramen) operate has been resolved. The Clerk has relocated them to the right side when you are facing the Senate President as you enter the chamber and all the necessary things needed for them to be on that side to do their job will be done by the Clerk.
“And we also have assurances from the cameramen that they are aware of their own ethical responsibility and will do everything possible as professional journalists to adhere to that ethical standard while in chamber,” the Senate spokesperson who was flanked by Senate Clerk Nelson Ayewoh and Chairman, Senate Press Corps Cosmos Ekpunobi revealed.
On Thursday last week, the Senate reduced the number of broadcast journalists covering plenary from 14 to six; a development that forced the newly accredited cameramen to boycott coverage of proceedings.
Officials attributed the arrangement as part of efforts to ‘decongest’ the Senate and establish an atmosphere of orderliness in the chamber.
With this development, broadcast stations like Murhi International Television (MiTv), Lagos Television (LTV), Ben Television, Core Television, Peoples Television, DTN, Independent Television and Galaxy Television have been readmitted into the chamber.
They will now join Africa Independent Television (AIT), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Channels Television, Silverbird Television, Television Continental (TVC) and New Age Media to cover Senate proceedings.
