It is very annoying when civil servants refuse to talk to journalists citing their position as civil servants as the reason. Some of them will boldly say it as if there is a law forbidding them to talk to journalists. Why exactly do the find talking to journalists onerous and demanding. One is left to wonder why they are feeling this way. Could it be because they are afraid to reveal some damning secrets or afraid not be the one that reveals it?
Even the very few that will talk to the members of the press will give carpet answers to questions thrown at them. So why exactly do they not want to talk to the press?
At the 19th Offshore West Africa Conference this week at Eko Hotel Lagos, an assistance director in the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) refused bluntly to talk to the press after giving a lively presentation to the public citing that he was a civil servant.
The question now is: is there any law in the country that prohibits civil servants from talking to the press? When was this law enacted and by who?
It is quite obvious that people may need some clarification on some issues after a lecture is given, so it is absurd that this assistant director refused to talk to the press.
Sir, what don’t you want to tell the press? What are you hiding?
