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MRA Condemns the Federal Military
Government's Plans to Further Muzzle the Nigerian Media
The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) condemns unequivocally plans
by the Federal Military Government to promulgate a fresh Decree to deal
with alleged libelous and seditious publications by the Nigerian news
media as announced yesterday by the Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
Such a move is retrogressive, repressive, in the extreme
and constitutes a breach of the solemn undertaking implicit in Nigeria’s
ratification of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights.
The proposal, hatched with the connivance of the Ooni of
Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, represents another primitive attempt by this
administration to completely subjugate the press and relegate it to a
mouthpiece of the government, singing only its praises.
It is a measure of the Government’s total disregard of the
rule of law that the plan exhibits blatant contempt for the decision of
the Court of Appeal in Enugu delivered 10 years ago in Chief Arthur
Nwankwo vs The State invalidating Section 51 of the Criminal Code which
defines the offence of Sedition.
As things stand now, Justice Olajide Olatawura showed
remarkable foresight when he said in that judgment that “To retain Section
51 of the Criminal Code, in its present form, that is even if inconsistent
with the freedom of expression guaranteed by our Constitution, will be a
deadly weapon to be used at will by a corrupt government or a tyrant.”
The MRA is of the view that defamation laws, as they
presently exist in Nigeria, are more than adequate to deal with libelous
publications.
Since January 2, last year when its security agents raided
the premises of Academy Press Limited and confiscated 50,000 copies of
TELL magazine, General Abacha’s administration has shown an unwavering
commitment to crush the press in Nigeria.
The MRA urges the press to frustrate this ambition. We
hereby call on the news media to see the government’s latest plan as a
direct threat to its already severely restricted freedom and independence
and act unanimously to resist it.
TIVE DENEDO
NATIONAL SECRETARY
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