World Press Freedom Day: Buhari Warns Media against Sponsored Reports Ahead of 2023 Polls

•Reiterates govt’s commitment to press freedom

•Editors say media freedom under attack in Nigeria

•Urge FG to make newsprints, broadcast equipment tax-free 

•Senate president hails journalists

Deji Elumoye and Ogheneuvede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has warned the media against carrying sponsored political reports and stories ahead of the 2023 general elections in the country.

In a message to mark the World Press Freedom Day, observed every year on May 3, President Buhari, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, rejoiced with the Nigerian media, and recognised their role in strengthening democracy.

He charged the Nigerian Press to use World Press Freedom Day to reflect on the need to embrace the best professional standards and practices, especially in the build-up to the forthcoming general elections.

The president noted that the free performance of media roles and responsibilities during the electoral process was as important as the sanctity and will of Nigerians, expressed through the ballot box.

With the elections in sight, the president urged the media to be mindful of sponsored political news or publications capable of inciting hatred, division, violence, and chaos in the country, while also ensuring that the electoral umpire and other stakeholders play their roles in delivering free, fair, credible and transparent elections to Nigerians.

Buhari hailed the courage and determination of those who daily go the extra time, sometimes at great personal risks, to keep the society well informed.

In fostering the pursuit of journalism in the country, the President reiterated the Nigerian government’s commitment to freedom of the press, pledging to continue ensuring the protection of the rights and privileges of journalists in the lawful performance of their professional duties.

‘‘We must stay united in supporting media professionals who work hard to de-escalate violent conflict and promote peaceful societies without compromising the responsibility to report,’’ he said, urging government information managers to ensure that the press and the general public have access to facts and figures of government information, without tears.

In line with the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, ”Journalism under digital siege,” President Buhari assured that government agencies under his watch would always stand against actions that are capable of limiting the preservation of the freedom of the Press guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, in commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day today, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has argued that the inalienable rights to access and disseminate information through an independent press was under attack in the country and called for urgent steps to protect the media.

According to the NGE, democracy in the county would be in danger when a free press is threatened.

In statement signed by the NGE’s President, Mustapha Isah and the General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, yesterday, the professional group of all the editors in Nigeria, said while the threat to the media freedom in Nigeria was real, the impact on the state of democracy in the country would be very dangerous, if not checked.

“Today is a day globally, to remind governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among journalists and other media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.

“We need to remind governments at all levels in Nigeria that a free and independent media that can keep the people informed and hold leaders accountable, is essential for a strong and sustainable democracy, including free and fair elections.

“Without it, Nigerians cannot make informed decisions about how they are governed; and address human rights abuses, corruption and abuse of power,” the editors stated.

The Guild said its members were concerned that elected leaders in Nigeria, who should be press freedom dependable protectors, have made several overt attempts to silence the media voices through propose legislations – that clearly seek to criminalise journalism practice in the country.

The editors added that apart from the regular attacks on journalists carrying out their legitimate editorial assignments by overzealous security agents, “the current attempts to criminalise journalism practice in the country through obnoxious proposed laws, the suffocating economic environment and harsh political/economic policies of the federal government, have in the past few years, made it almost impossible for the media sector to carry out its constitutional responsibility for the benefit of the citizens.”

The NGE added, “There is urgent need to protect the media; because the impact of the suffocating economic and political environment being created by the government will be very dangerous to our democracy. A threat to the media is a threat to our democracy.

“Governments at all levels must take the lead in making sure that their actions do not inspire violations of press freedom. A democratic society like Nigeria should know that it has a crucial role to play in maintaining media freedom and facilitating access to public information.

“Government should regularly take strong and immediate action against any violations of media freedom – this should include speaking out against violence against journalists and authorities’ failure/refusal to identify and prosecute attackers.’’

The NGE also called on the federal government to make newsprints, broadcast equipment and all other consumables in the media sector tax free, in order to save the media from total collapse.

“The media is a strong pillar of democracy; it is the oxygen of the democratic space; and there is urgent need by the federal government to make intervention to save it from collapsing,” the editors added.

In a related development, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, had felicitated Nigerian journalists as they marked the World Press Freedom Day.

Lawan commended the Fourth Estate of the Realm in Nigeria for doing what he termed, “a great job in holding the mirror to the society, speaking truth to power and insisting on government being accountable to the people.”

He acknowledged that men of the pen profession in Nigeria have made heroic contributions to the society and have continued to do so at great costs.

It was in this regard that the Senate President reflects on the theme for this year celebration of the World Press Freedom Day, which is: “Journalism under digital siege.”

The theme is to draw attention to “surveillance and digitally-mediated attacks on journalists” around the world in their course of duty.

The Senate President assured journalists in Nigeria that the National Assembly would continue through legislations to protect them and enhance the practice of their noble profession.

“Our fledgling democracy can only thrive under an environment of free speech and freedom of the press. That freedom is an essential ingredient of democracy.

“However, journalists must also continue to take due cognizance of their responsibilities to the society by wielding their mighty pens and keyboards with circumspection.

“In this age of information, practitioners, whether in the traditional or new media, have an obligation now more than ever before to uphold the ethics and tenets of the journalism profession and show the way in responsible dissemination of information.

“Because of the fear of the dangerous consequences of the abuse of the power of the media, some people have called for the regulation of social media.

“As a parliament, the National Assembly will not allow free speech and press freedom to be constricted but will also strive to ensure that the freedom is not abused.

“On this note, I wish the Nigerian journalists a happy World Press Freedom Day,” Lawan said.