President Muhammadu Buhari has rejoiced with the media on the occasion of this year’s World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), celebrated worldwide every May 3rd. This year’s celebration marks the 30 years anniversary of being proclaimed by the UN General Assembly as an International Day for press freedom. Buhari used the opportunity and pay tribute to the professional journalists, who risks their lives for a better and educated society. 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.”
The umbrella of all the editors in Nigeria, which stated this in a statement yesterday, to mark this year's 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 criminalize 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.