News
We Won’t Stop Reporting Herdsmen, Bandits’ Attacks, NGE, NUJ, Others Dare Buhari
Media chiefs in the country have said the media would not be deterred by the directive of the Federal Government that the media should not divulge “details” of the activities of bandits, herdsmen, terrorists and kidnappers in their reports.
The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mustapha Isah; National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo; and the Executive Director, Centre for Media Law and Advocacy, Richard Akinnola; made this known in separate interviews with newsmen, at the weekend.
According to them, the media reports activities and does not create events.
They advised President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to tackle the security challenges in the country, and desist from its attempts to gag the media through the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
The media veterans were reacting to a directive by the National Broadcasting Commission that television and radio stations in Nigeria should not “glamourise the nefarious activities of insurgents” during their daily newspaper reviews.
Also reacting, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari over the warning to media houses to stop reporting terror attacks.
SERAP told Buhari to instruct the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to withdraw the directive.
The NBC had ordered journalists, television and radio stations to stop “glamourising and giving too many details on the nefarious activities of terrorists and kidnappers,” during their daily newspaper reviews.
In a letter dated July 17, 2021, SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the NBC’s action was entirely inconsistent with Nigeria’s obligations under Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“We would be grateful if the repressive directive is withdrawn within 24hours of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, the SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions in the public interest.”
The organization lamented that the NBC’s directive would impermissibly restrict the rights to freedom of expression, information, and victims’ right to justice and effective remedies that are central to public debate and accountability in a democratic society.
SERAP noted that reports and publications on the growing violence and killings in many parts of the country is a matter of public interest.
The letter said the threat of fines and other punishments, would have a disproportionate chilling effect on the work of those seeking to hold the government accountable to the public.
The rights group said the vague definitions of ‘too many details’, ‘glamourising’, ‘divisive rhetoric’, and ‘security issues’ also raise concern that the NBC’s directive unduly interferes with the rights to freedom of expression and information.
Similarly, a member representing Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, Hon Yakubu Umar Barde, expressed dismay over what he described as a strange directive from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to television and radio stations in Nigeria not to divulge “details” of the activities of bandits, terrorist and kidnappers in their reports.
Barde said he was constrained by the decision of the National Broadcasting Commission on the broadcast of insecurity in the country.
In a statement, he said as a representative whose constituency (Chikun/Kajuru) is most hit by the activities of bandits, terrorists and kidnappers; he was concerned about the move by the NBC to gag media houses from telling the stories of his people.
He said, “My constituency has benefitted from the role played by the media to let the world know that my constituents have been killed, maimed, kidnapped, raped and have their villages occupied by these terrorists.”
Barde noted that in the last few weeks, he has engaged the media by granting interviews, raising motions on the floor of the House, and sharing alarming data of the atrocities being perpetrated in his constituency by these terrorists.
He said that presently, 121 students of the Bethel Baptist High School, the 14 members of the family of the Emir of Kajuru, and 16 residents of Anguwan Gimbiya in Sabon Tasha, and many others were still in captivity.
Barde said the kidnappings have continued unabated, stressing that, recently, two young men were killed by bandits in Kagurdna village, Kakau Ward in Chikun Local Government.
As an elected representative, he said he has used the media/press to give suggestions on possible solutions to this menace by advocating the use of technology, and also seeking foreign assistance for the security agencies.
“I want to categorically state that I stand in solidarity with all pressmen and media houses and want to indulge them to keep telling the stories of atrocities being committed by terrorists across the country while being professional in carrying out their duties,” he said.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.