MFD Urges NASS to Override President Obasanjo’s Refusal to Sign the FOI Bill into Law

The Media for Democracy (MFD) in Nigeria has called on the Nigerian National Assembly to, without further delay, override President Obsanjo’s refusal to sign the Freedom of Information Bill into Law, so that it could come into existence immediately.

The group which made the call in a statement issued on May 3, 2007 to mark the 2007 World press Freedom day, condemned President Olusegun Obasanjo’s refusal of to sign the FOI Bill into law asserting that it is an “established fact that no meaningful war can be waged against corruption where the citizens are denied the right of access to information”.

It said it was “worried by recent developments in the country that fundamentally negate the ideals of the world press freedom day, the Windhoek declaration and the principles enshrined in Article 19 including:

• the refusal of President Olusegun Obasanjo to assent to the Freedom of Information Bill (FOIB) as passed by the National Assembly

• the armed invasion of the Abuja premises of the African Independent Television (AIT)

• numerous cases of assault and attack on journalists during the just concluded general elections

• the harassment of journalists during the recent May 1^st Workers’ Day celebrations especially the assault on Mr. Dare Folorunso, a cameraman with Ondo State Radiovision Corporation in Akure, Ondo State capital by a Police Officer.

• the arrest and detention on human rights, pro-democracy, socialist and trade union activists as well as the seizure of their newsletters and books also during the Workers’ day celebration”.

It recalled that the UN General Assembly in 1993 proclaimed the World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness on the importance of freedom of the press and to remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right of freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adding that press freedom and the right of freedom of expression are intrinsically linked with the right of access to information,

It called on assaulted journalists, media establishments, and detained activists to urgently institute legal action against the security personnel and agencies responsible for the violation of their fundamental rights while also charging Nigerian journalists to continue to strive towards higher professional and ethical standards in the course of their daily reportorial duties and the fulfillment of their constitutional obligation to monitor governance and make the government accountable to the people.

The MFD comprises of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Independent Journalism Center (IJC), Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER), and International Press Centre (IPC).

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