Buhari Rejoices with Media On World Press Freedom Day

•EU harps on importance of media to democracy 

•NGE tasks incoming government on press freedom, safety of journalists 

•Promises to engage authorities on review of NBC Act, anti-media laws

Deji Elumoye and Michael Olugbede in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has rejoiced with the media on the occasion of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, celebrated worldwide every May 3rd.

This year’s celebration marks 30 years since the UN General Assembly’s decision proclaiming an international day for press freedom, and the president said the landmark was a tribute to media professionals, who risk their lives to keep society informed and educated.

Commenting on this year’s theme, “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights”, Buhari, in a statement issued yesterday, expressed delight that the rights of Nigerian journalists have been protected and upheld in the past eight years.

He explained: “We have kept the faith. We have ensured that Nigerian journalists have had unfettered freedom to practice their art, and on this occasion of World Press Freedom Day, we recommit to that resolution, even as we wind down in office.”

He charged media professionals to continue to be patriotic, work for the cohesion of the country, and exercise their freedom with a high deal of responsibility.

Also, in commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day, the European Union (EU) yesterday, emphasised the importance of free, independent and pluralistic media to resilient and healthy democracies, even as it lamented that press freedom is at stake in most parts of the world today.

The EU in a statement on the World Press Freedom Day lamented that journalists, media workers and all those who bring independent quality information to the public, shed light on the gross human rights violations and atrocities and hold those in power to account increasingly face discredit, threats and attacks, including through disinformation.

The EU said while: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers,” noted that laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 75 years ago, the protection of freedom of expression remains a key priority for EU human rights action.

The EU added: “This year we join UNESCO in emphasizing that, today more than ever, freedom of expression is crucial for all other human rights and contributes decisively to ‘Shaping a Future of Rights.’

It said: “Reporters in an attacked Ukraine, journalists in Belarus and Afghanistan, independent media in the Middle East and North Africa, local journalists in Central America, the Nobel Prize laureates in the Philippines and Russia and many other media workers worldwide, including in Europe, continue to pay a high price for exercising their profession.

 “Women journalists are particularly vulnerable to threats and increasing attacks, both offline and online. They are exposed to stigmatisation, sexist hate speech, trolling, sexual and gender-based violence and even murder.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has tasked the incoming government to initiate deliberate and sustained policies and programmes to promote freedom of expression, media freedom and safety of journalists.

The Guild noted that there were conscious efforts in the past few years by some members of the National Assembly – working in collaboration with officials of the executive arm of government, to criminalise journalism practice in Nigeria.

The umbrella of all the editors in Nigeria, which stated this in a statement yesterday, to mark this year World Press Freedom Day, also promised to engage the incoming government over the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act and the Broadcast Code of Conduct – with the aim to amend and reform them to conform to the global best practices.

In a statement signed by its President Mustapha Isah and the General Secretary, Dr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, the NGE said  pluralistic mass media predicated on freedom of expression, freedom of information and free press are fundamental to any effective and functional democracy all over the world, stating that Nigeria can’t be an exception.

“We share the popular notion that freedom of the media is indispensable for the protection of all other human rights. “Instances abound where inhuman treatments, torture, corruption, misuse of power, impunity and nepotism were exposed because of the reports by the media.

“Informing members of the public is often the first and essential step to begin remedying human rights violations and hold governments to account.

“Disturbing signs of repression, violations of media freedom and several cautious attempts to criminalise journalism practice, have been observed in the past few years in our country.

“There have been different forms of control, censorship, and pressure over the content of mass media in Nigeria, especially the broadcast stations, which have hindered their independence and pluralism.

“Cases of journalists who are deprived of their inalienable rights due to their work continue to occur over and over again. Cases of harassment, intimidation, violence – and even murder – have been documented in the past eight years – by both local and international pro-media rights groups,” the NGE stated.

The NGE added that the case of two Nigerian journalists – Gidado Shuaib and Alfred Olufemi – who were recently convicted by an inferior court in Kwara State, ought not to have been charged, let alone convicted, for publishing an investigative report about a factory.

“The conviction of the two journalists has sent disturbing signals to the mass media that pointed out the necessity to urgently reform our laws and ensure journalism is not criminalised in Nigeria in line with the intention of anti-media forces,” it added.

The NGE said it was nevertheless, not unaware of the media’s shortcomings, saying the professional body would continue to provide useful advice on the improvement of journalism profession.

The body advised members of the public to make use of the recently inaugurated nine-member board of the National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC), otherwise known as the National Ombudsman, to report cases of media misconduct.

“As earlier stated by the commission, the inauguration of NMCC is a major step by the media industry to strengthen public confidence in the media through prompt resolution of issues bordering on ethical breaches in media content.

“The process is being driven by the Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO,) comprising the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), along with other strategic media players and the civil society, in particular the MacArthur Foundation,” the editors added.