• NGE, SERAP, MRA, IPC, Others Warn Against Using Repressive Laws To Hunt Critics
• Ododo, Mutfwang Commend Journalists Over Sacrifices For Nation building
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, yesterday gave assurance that the Federal Government would not compromise press freedom.
He said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would guarantee unfettered access to journalists and provide an enabling environment for the media.
Idris said no single journalist has been incarcerated under the Tinubu administration for practising responsible journalism, stressing that the media is largely free in Nigeria.
He, however, said spreading falsehood and misinformation is irresponsible journalism and cannot be equated with press freedom.
The minister spoke in Abuja at a press briefing organised by his ministry in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management, and the United Nations Educational and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO), to commemorate this year’s World Press Freedom Day.
He briefed alongside the Minister of State for Environment and Ecological Management, Dr. Iziaq Salako; Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Dr. Ngozi Onwudiwe; Head UNESCO Office Abuja, Mr. Abdourahamane Diallo.
He said: “I have not seen somebody in the life of this administration, for example, who has been put in jail or who has gone into exile as a result of press freedom.
“We knew what had happened in this country in the past. Some decades ago, we knew that you had to leave this country to be able to report. I can tell you that the press in Nigeria is largely free but that freedom will further be consolidated if honesty and transparency are upheld in the manner that we report.”
The Minister said the President recognises the importance of responsible media coverage in enlightening, informing and educating Nigerians and the world, adding that through credible and timely information, everyone could be well-informed, and the media could serve as a valuable tool for fostering transparency and accountability.
“As a ministry and government, we provided the most unfettered access to journalists and provided the enabling environment that has continued to encourage the Nigerian media to grow in leaps and bounds,” he said.
He said as President Tinubu strives to position Nigeria as an attractive destination for Foreign Direct Investment, the media must present a positive and accurate portrayal of the country to the international community.
While speaking on this year’s theme of World Press Freedom Day, ‘A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of Environmental Crisis’, Idris said the world is confronted by an environmental crisis of unprecedented magnitude, one that poses a threat not only to the planet but also to the very future of humanity. On his part, the Minister of Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said what is needed now in the face of intense environmental challenge is a press for the Planet.
Salako, however, said the government was promoting nature based solutions in battling climate change and other environmental challenges through tree planting, mangrove restoration, urban greening and restoring wetlands.
Onanuga, on his part, warned that the rainforest is gradually disappearing, as there is no preservation of the country’s ecology.
The presidential aide therefore charged journalists to spare time to report on the environment.
The UNESCO Director General, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, reiterated the damages done to the environment, saying the planet was on the brink of a climatic precipice.
According to Azoulay, whose speech was read by the Head, UNESCO Office Abuja, Mr. Abdourahamane Diallo, “2023 was the hottest year on record, with an average global surface temperature 1.45°C higher than in the pre-industrial era. Other alarming records were also broken for ocean surface temperatures, sea level rise and glacier retreat .
“As humanity faces up to this existential peril, we must remember, on this World Day, that the climate challenge is also a journalistic and informational challenge. “
No effective climate action is possible without access to free and reliable scientific information. That is why this year’s theme highlights the essential link between protecting freedom of expression – a global public good – and preserving our planet,” Azoulay said.
Meanwhile, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) have urged Nigerian authorities at all levels of government to “stop using repressive and anti-media laws such as the Cybercrimes Act and some codes of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to target, intimidate and harass journalists, critics and media houses.”
They made the call at the interactive session on ‘The State of Press Freedom in Nigeria’ held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.
The event was jointly organised by SERAP and NGE to mark the World Press Freedom Day.
In a joint statement, SERAP and NGE said, “the government of President Bola Tinubu, the country’s 36 governors and FCT minister must now genuinely uphold press freedom, ensure access to information to all Nigerians, obey court judgments and respect the rule of law.”
The groups expressed “serious concerns about the escalating crackdown on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom and the flagrant disregard for the rule of law by authorities at all levels of government.”
The groups noted that the suppression of the press in recent times takes various forms ranging from extrajudicial to unlawful detentions, disappearances, malicious prosecutions and wrongful use of both legislation and law enforcement.
“We would continue to speak truth to power and to hold authorities to account for their constitutional and international obligations including on freedom of expression and media freedom,” the groups said.
Also, members of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), International Press Centre (IPC) and the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO) have restated the need for the government to protect media freedom in the country.
According to the Executive Director of MRA, Edetaen Ojo, “as the world celebrates World Press Freedom Day on May 3, we wish to reaffirm our commitment to upholding the fundamental principles of free speech, independent journalism and the protection of press freedoms worldwide knowing that a free and independent media is the oxygen of democracy. We are determined to work with like-minded individuals and organisations towards the emergence of an environment where media professionals can carry out their professional functions without fear or intimidation and where the media can realise its true purpose.”
Similarly, the Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, noted: “We recognise the challenges facing journalists and media professionals across the country, including censorship, intimidation, violence and online harassment. In the face of these threats and attacks, we commend the resilience and courage of journalists who continue to pursue the truth, often at great personal risk. We also promise that we shall continue to render whatever support we can to ensure that the atmosphere is made conducive for them to ply their trade.”
On his part, the Executive Director of CEMESO, Akin Akingbulu, said: “We take the opportunity of this important occasion to once again call on governments, civil society organisations and individuals everywhere to join us in defending press freedom, protecting journalists and ensuring that information remains a public good accessible to all. Together, let us stand united in support of press freedom and the fundamental principles of democracy.”
Meanwhile, Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has commended the sacrifices and contributions of media practitioners in deepening the democratic space.
In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Ismaila Isah, Ododo eulogised the press for its role in holding the government to account in the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people.
The governor noted that the 2024 World Press Freedom Day is a reminder of the importance of a free and independent press in a democracy.
“As Governor, I am proud to recognise the crucial role that journalists and the vibrant press play in holding those in power accountable and shedding light on the programmes and policies of the government in a way that the people need to be told,” Ododo said.
The Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has also commended the sacrifices the media have been making to ensure that the society is reflected the way it is against all odds.
Mutfwang stressed that the media have almost collapsed in other climes because of the situation they find themselves in, adding that the resilience of the media in some parts of the world has been encouraging.
The Governor, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications, Dr. Timothy Golu, stated that against all odds the media have refused to be intimidated, cowed or caged.
The governor said that the level of impunity in the society would have been more than this if not for the media, adding that the level of corruption, insanity and other vices would have reared their ugly heads.
“Some people have been forced to comply with the law not because of the fear of punishment but because of the fear of being exposed by the media. I want to appreciate you for what you are doing. I want to encourage you not to give up. You are not working for an individual, you are not working for yourselves but you are working for the good of the society,” the governor said.