Concerned about the plethora of obnoxious and anti-media laws in the country’s legal book, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has inaugurated a five-man committee to work closely with the office of Minister of Information and National Orientation, the National Assembly, the Attorney-General of the Federation/Minister of Justice, and other stakeholders to start a process of amending the laws or repealing them outright.
The committee members include Richard Akinnola, a pro-media rights activist and member of NGE; Gbemiga Ogunleye, a lawyer and former Editor of The Punch; Martins Oloja, former Editor-In-Chief and Managing Director of The Guardian; Idris Hamza, Deputy Editor-in-Chief and chairman of the editorial Board of Daily Trust; and Dr Iyobosa Uwugiaren, General Secretary of the NGE.
In a statement jointly signed by the NGE President, Eze Anaba, and the General Secretary, the professional body of editors/media executives said its decision was informed by the “chilling effect” of the legislation on the nation’s democracy and press freedom.
NGE stated, “We are concerned about the negative impact of this plethora of obnoxious laws; some of them were enacted by the colonial government, which today are undermining accountability and transparency at all levels of government. Anti-media laws can make it more difficult for journalists to hold those in power accountable, allowing corruption and abuse of power to go unchecked.
“These anti-media laws also can restrict the ability of Nigerians to express their opinions and participate in robust public conversation that is capable of undermining the fundamental right to free speech.”
The Guild added that despite the existence of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act in the country’s statutes books, anti-media laws hugely limited access to information, thereby making it challenging for Nigerians to make informed decisions and participate in the democratic process.
It stated, “We argue that these obnoxious laws cause the huge deficit of trust by Nigerians against the government today. Anti-media laws can erode trust in institutions, including the government, judiciary and media, thereby undermining the legitimacy of democratic institutions.
“They can also concentrate power in the hands of the political elite and those in government, allowing them to control the narrative and suppress dissenting voices, including opposition parties, civil society organisations and individual activists, as we are witnessing in the country.”
- Source: The Guardian, Nigeria
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