By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The #FixPolitics Initiative has pledged its solidarity with the Nigerian press against the sinister attempt by Nigeria’s National Assembly to gag the Press and all democratic voices in the country through the current move to amend the laws establishing the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
Sundiata Post recalls that #FixPolitics Initiative is a citizens-led research-based initiative designed to be executed as a “Big Push” for structural change of politics and governance in Nigeria and on the African continent at large.
The group which stated this in a statement signed by the Co- Chair, Constitutional, Political and Electoral Reform, Prof Remi Sonaiya and Executive Director #FIXPOLITICS, Anthony Ubani, stressed that it stands firmly alongside the Nigerian Press, particularly the Nigerian Guild of Editors, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and other civil society bodies that have equally expressed their consternation at this unacceptable development.
It reminded that the two bills currently being considered by the House of Representatives and sponsored by Mr. Olusegun Odebunmi (APC, Oyo State), are outright authoritarian and constitute a blatant attempt to stifle free speech and the voice of Nigerian citizens, as they seek to hand over control of the Press to the Ministry of Information.
“This move must be properly understood in the context of a government which is increasingly intolerant of criticism and divergent opinions and which continues to fail in its primary responsibility of providing security and basic services to the Nigerian populace, it said.
It continued: “Recent developments in the country have raised concerns globally about the deteriorating state of press freedom in the country; these include the harassment and arrest of journalists, the closure of media houses and imposition of fines resulting from spurious allegations. The bills being proposed are intended to impose very strict conditions on journalists and media houses seeking to cover government proceedings. For example, access to the National Assembly will be restricted for journalists, while media houses will have to prove that they have a daily, hard copy circulation of 40,000 copies or substantial online presence, with at least 5,000 daily views.
“There are several other restrictions proposed in the bills, all with the intention of disqualifying journalists from gaining access to government news and reporting such to the Nigerian people.
#FixPolitics therefore expressed utter shock at these draconian laws and lauds the outrage by the Press, calling other media outlets and organisations, both traditional and internet-based, to join this important movement and resist the gagging of the Nigerian Press by the Buhari-led government and an apparent rubber-stamping National Assembly.