As the international community marks the World Press Freedom Day, 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.”
The statement followed the interactive session on ‘the state of press freedom in Nigeria’ held today at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja. The event was jointly organized by SERAP and NGE to mark the World Press Freedom Day.
In a joint statement, SERAP and NGE said that, “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 “note 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.”
The statement, read in part: “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.”
“Nigeria as a country has a long and unpleasant history of press gagging and clampdown on media freedom, which is evidence of extensive state censorship of media and in some cases, the utter control of state-owned media houses.”
“This position has not changed considerably despite almost 25 years of unbroken democratic rule in the Fourth Republic.”
“We are concerned that press freedom remains under threat, especially due to economic challenges and other challenges such as navigating digital surveillance, hacking, online harassment and internet shutdowns.”
“Freedom of the press is one of the cornerstones of a democratic society. Journalism is not a crime; it is fundamental to a free society.”
“Press freedom is essential for journalists and media organisations to report freely in the public interest. Press freedom also has wider significance, as a free and independent media contributes to transparency and accountability of government.”
“Press freedom is therefore essential not only for free speech as a public good but also for the enjoyment of other human rights.”
“It is important not only to journalists and media organisations, which publish the information but also to citizens, who have a right to access information from a diversity of sources.”
“This in turn is essential to ensuring the effective exercise of the right to participate in one’s government and the proper election of the people’s representatives.”
VANGUARD
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