Tiwa Savage apology to journalists comes after reporters protested being denied entry to her Lagos foundation launch over branded T-shirt rules
Organisers of the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation launch, associated with Nigerian singer Tiwatope Savage, have issued an apology to journalists following a dispute over media access at the event held on Monday at The Delborough in Victoria Island, Lagos.
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The development was disclosed by Yinka Olatunbosun, senior correspondent at ThisDay newspaper, who said the organisers reached out to her and other journalists after widespread criticism over the treatment of members of the press invited to cover the event.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Olatunbosun said the organisers acknowledged concerns raised by reporters who protested the conditions imposed on them during the launch.
“The organisers of Tiwa Savage Foundation launch have issued apologies to Ms. Yinka Olatunbosun and her colleagues for the situation that was widely reported yesterday at The Delborough, Victoria Island Lagos,” she wrote.
The Tiwa Savage apology to journalists followed an earlier incident in which some members of the press were reportedly denied entry to the venue because they were not wearing branded T-shirts distributed by the organisers.
Olatunbosun said the singer’s team recognised the stance taken by journalists who insisted on more respectful and professional engagement with the media.
“The Tiwa Savage team recognises and appreciates the dignity upheld by the handful of journalists who demanded better handling of press men at events and wishes to host them this evening, of course without the T-shirts,” she stated.
According to Olatunbosun, she accepted the apology and agreed to make the update public to address what she described as misrepresentation surrounding the incident.
“I accepted the apologies and had promised to make it public because of mischief makers who enjoy trolling celebrities using situations such as these,” she added.
The journalist also said Tiwa Savage was described as deeply unhappy about the situation, noting that the singer had a reputation for being courteous in her engagements.
“Tiwa Savage is described as a courteous celebrity and she is said to be very saddened by this occurrence. We are proud of her and out of respect for her, we will accept the peace offering,” she said.
Olatunbosun also expressed gratitude to senior colleagues in the media who intervened after the matter became public.
“My gratitude to all our senior colleagues who made calls regarding the situation. Thanks so much,” she wrote.
The apology was delivered by David Otobo, media consultant for The Delborough.
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The Tiwa Savage apology to journalists comes after several reporters criticised the T-shirt requirement as unprofessional, arguing that such conditions undermine established standards governing how journalists cover public and corporate events.
Mariam Balogun is a contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
