NGE Commissions Panel To Address Cases Of Anti-Media, Free Speech
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has formed a five-member panel to spearhead the amendment or repeal of anti-media laws in Nigeria. The panel will collaborate with key stakeholders, including the Minister of Information, National Assembly, and Attorney-General.
The Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, has commissioned a five-man panel to kick-start the process of amending or repealing anti-media laws in the country's legal books.
Accordingly, the committee will work closely with the office of Minister of Information and National Orientation, National Assembly, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice among other critical stakeholders.
Members include a pro-media rights activist and member of NGE, Richard Akinnola; a lawyer/former Editor of Punch Newspaper, Gbemiga Ogunleye; former Editor-In-Chief/Managing Director of The Guardian, Martins Oloja; Deputy Editor-In-Chief/Chairman, Editorial Board of Daily Trust, Idris Hamza, and the General Secretary of the NGE, Dr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren.
The statement read, ’We are concerned about the negative impact of these 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 have the capacity to 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.
‘’We argue that the huge deficit of trust by Nigerians against government today is caused by these obnoxious laws.
‘’They can also concentrate power in the hands of political elite and those in government, allowing them to control the narrative and suppress dissenting voices, including opposition parties, civil society organizations, and individual activists, as we are currently witnessing in the country.’’
The Guild also explained that to avoid further damage to nation’s democratic culture and values, the committee is expected to engage the Minister of Information/National Orientation, the National Assembly and other critical stakeholders in identifying those laws with the aim of addressing the threat, which such anti-media laws pose to democratic stability – as they can create an atmosphere in which authoritarianism can flourish.
According to the Guild, its interest on the issues was not just about the necessity to create the enabling environment for press freedom and free speech to flourish, but more importantly, was its determination to deepen the nation’s democracy and by extension, good governance at all levels of government, in line with the agenda of the Federal Government.
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