U.S. replies News Digest on Buhari-Trump press conference
NEWS DIGEST – Following The News Digest report on the allegations of Simon Ateba, a popular Journalist that the questions asked from President Buhari was stage managed the United States embassy in Nigeria has dispelled this, stating that no embassy has the right to manage events at the White House.
In a message sent to the News Digest correspondent and signed by Rusell K Brooks, the Information Manager of the United States embassy in Abuja, it was said that the operations of the United States don’t allow anyone to tamper with events or questions. This Newspaper had made efforts to get enquiries from the United States embassy earlier on if it was aware that questions asked from President Buhari during the Press Conference were allegedly stage managed.
The message read below:
” Good Morning Olanrewaju Oyedeji. I understand that you sent an inquiry to the U.S. Consulate in Lagos asking whether the questions that President Buhari answered during the press conference at the White House was “pre-selected by the American Embassy in Nigeria.”
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The statement further read that an Embassy does not manage Press events at the white house and the United states officials do not pre-select questions
“No, this did not happen. This never happens. An Embassy does not manage a press event at the White House. U.S. government officials do not pre-select the questions for journalists at press conferences. We believe in a free press and it is not our practice to censor questions or attempt to muzzle the press. By the fact that you asked the question, it appears that you unfamiliar with how an Embassy or the U.S. government in general actually operates. I appreciate the fact that you are giving us an opportunity to correct this falsehood.”
The Embassy also said the Public Affairs representatives of the embassy are always ready to explain United States Policy and programs.
“You will find that the Embassy, and the Consulate’s, public affairs representatives are always willing to explain U.S. policy and programs to avoid misunderstandings or the dissemination of misinformation in the future.” the statement read.
Simon Ateba in a series of Facebook posts had accused that the questions President Buhari answered at the White House were stage managed as he was not allowed to ask questions.
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