By Armsfree Ajanaku
As one of the massive pillars, which nurtures and sustains the democratic process, Nigeria’s press has been in the frontlines of the struggle for accountable governance. Long before the pivotal year of 1999 when the country made the transition to a civilian dispensation, the press carried the heavy burden of keeping the country informed despite the strictures and restrictions imposed by the reign of the military generals. The press also bore the brunt as the men in khaki and camouflage unleashed brute force to silence voices of dissent. All segments of society, particularly the press and the intelligentsia, which sought to provide countervailing narratives to challenge the propaganda and oppressive actions of the extant regimes of those years, came under brutal reprisals by the Nigerian State.
As such, when the civilian dispensation was ushered in after popular struggles for democracy forced the military to return to their barracks in 1999, many journalists and press freedom advocates erroneously dropped their guard. There was relief, followed by the belief that democratic ideals, including freedom of the press would be part of the considerations of the post-1999 context of government-press relations. Those who had gone giddy in excitement that the transition to a civilian dispensation would automatically translate into a polity where the press is fully free to play its role were soon forced into a rude awakening.
It was soon realised that the extant power elite were going to be a lot more rapacious, lacerating and even more devastating when it comes to their programme of relentless attacks on the free press. While the Presidencies of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo up to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had their fair share of brushes with the press, the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari takes the distinction of being the most notorious of all recent governments in terms of its systematic attempts to undermine, harass and cow the press. The most recent manifestation of the Buhari regime’s long term programme of vilifying and attacking the press from all possible angles, is apparent is the recent fines slammed on some media houses for broadcasting documentaries, which the government deemed to be “glorifying terrorism.”
Trust TV, one of the media outfits, which was slammed with a fine of N5million for broadcasting the documentary has stressed that the material it is being punished for broadcasting traces the root of the communal tensions and systemic inadequacies which led to the armed conflict that is setting the stage for another grand humanitarian crisis in Nigeria. Media Trust Group in a statement added that the documentary, which has drawn the ire of the government presents insights into the intersection of injustice, ethnicity and bad governance as drivers of the conflict.
“It also aggregates voices of experts and key actors towards finding solutions, including those of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Senator Saidu Mohammed Dansadau, who hails from one the worst hit communities in Zamfara State.”
Several civil society and press freedom campaigners have also knocked the government for baring its fangs on media organisations reporting the facts relating to what is happening in the country. One of such groups, the International Press Centre (IPC), which in a statement described the fine as an affront on democracy and the basic tenets of the rule of law. One pertinent point made by the IPC is the fact that Trust TV was neither notified of the alleged infringement of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, neither was it requested to defend itself against the allegations before the fine was handed down.
“In other words, there was no fair hearing for Tust TV, but one-sided hearing of the accusation by the Information Minister upon which the NBC acted. The Federal Government, the Information Minister and the NBC must be made to understand that the banditry ravaging the country and daily putting the lives and property of the citizens in jeopardy is not a creation of the media, which has through editorial opinions, investigations and broadcast programmes offered suggestions and support to the government on the way out of the general insecurity.”
Given the haste and the draconian manner the government rushed to fine the media houses over the documentary on banditry, there have been feelers that as the Buhari regime begins to countdown towards its exit in 2023, it would want to hold on to any straw to save face in the face of its disastrous record on security and governance. Fears are also rife that Nigeria could slide back to those dark and terrible says of military, when journalists and pro-democracy activists were declared enemies of the state for playing their watchdog role as enshrined in the constitutional. Advocates of press freedom have also pointed to the fact that both the media and civic space in Nigeria have continued to shrink since Buhari and his co-travelers in the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the Presidency in 2015.
Close watchers of the situation have lamented that in the face of serious governance challenges such as chronic insecurity, mass unemployment, crumbling infrastructure, unbridled corruption and extreme poverty; political actors across the federal and state levels appear fixated on “taming” the media, instead of tackling pervasive social and economic problems facing Nigerians. Since the All Progressives Congress (APC) took over power at the federal level in 2015, it has spent enormous energy, time and resources trying to undermine freedom of expression. Pro-democracy campaigners have pointed to the fact that the Buhari government has exhibited excessive passion in the area of putting forward legislations and policies, which sole objective is to stifle freedom of expression and muzzle the Press and civil society.
Apart from the surreptitious introduction of previous harsh legislations, which attempted to give sweeping powers to government to curtail the right of citizens, the government has continually shown intolerance to views and perspectives, which do not align with its own. These tendencies, to the minds of many journalists and activists make it make it evident that the current regime brooks no contrary view.
According to Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, Executive Director of the Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), the way the government has carried on with its engagement with the media, there seems to be the impression that diversity of voices and plurality of opinions would not be countenanced.
He said: “The disposition of the current regime to free speech, contrary views, and dissent is a clear message to the media and civic groups to brace up for the struggles ahead. Apparently, after the universally-condemned ban on the operations of microblogging site Twitter, last year, the government shifted its focus to the amendment of the Nigeria Press Council Act. From the details of what was proposed, there can be no doubt that the intentions are not noble, but repulsive.”
Several press freedom advocates equally see the recent sanctions meted against media organisations as a continuation of the relentless assault on freedom of the press. They have therefore pointed at the express provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which in Section 39(1) is unambiguous that “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.”
Similarly, press freedom advocates have also been quick to point to Section 39(2) of the constitution, which goes on to state that without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of this section, every person shall be entitled to own, establish and operate any medium for the dissemination of information, ideas and opinions.” The right of freedom of expression is therefore guaranteed by the constitution. Unfortunately, the Buhari regime even as it approaches its twilight period, has not been able to come to terms with this reality.
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