AGENDA FOR THE INFORMATION MINISTER

 Emmanuel Nzomiwu urges the minister to promote press freedom as well as the welfare of the media industry

The appointment of Mohammed Idris as the Minister of Information and National Orientation came as a surprise to many Nigerians, especially those who were not aware of his humble contributions to the growth and development of the Nigerian media industry as an investor and public relations practitioner.

Before the announcement of Idris as the chief information officer of the country, most Nigerians thought the appointment of former presidential spokesman, Dele Alake for the position, was already a fait accompli. However, for reasons best known to the President, he deployed Alake, a seasoned journalist, to the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals and assigned Idris to the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.  

While resuming duties, the new Information Minister made two key promises to Nigerians. One, is to give them true information about various government programmes and projects of the administration in all sectors and two, a Ministry of Information and National Orientation that is open, transparent and accountable to Nigerians.

Idris also revealed that national orientation will form the core of his ministry’s mandate, in addition to information dissemination. He, however, cautioned Nigerians against spreading fake news, urging members of the press to cross-check their information before dissemination.

While I wish him success in his new assignment, it is important to let him understand that he could achieve very little or nothing, without a vibrant media industry in the country. As the government spokesman, he shoulders the responsibility of ensuring that information is available and accessible to the citizens through the media. For him to succeed, he should learn from the experience of his predecessor, Lai Mohammed, who was once described as a failure by former deputy spokesman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Yakubu Nabena.

Since 1960 when Nigeria gained Independence from Britain, no minister under a civilian government has a track record of infringement on press freedom more than Lai Mohammed. Under Mohammed, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) flagrantly sanctioned media houses at the slightest provocation. The sanctions include fines and suspension, and in some cases, outright revocation of license. The climax of Mohammed’s adversarial disposition to the media was the controversial ban on twitter, now known as X. The rest is history.

At this juncture, let me point out that conflict between the media and government is not unexpected in any democracy. While the government tends to be cagey and politically sensitive, journalists are always prying into the affairs of the government. This makes the job of the Information Minister well cut out. To navigate this difficult terrain, the government spokesman should apply ingenuity and not crude power.

As the government spokesman and chief image maker, the Information Minister needs the media as much as the media need his cooperation in order to do their job effectively and efficiently. To underscore the importance of the media in a democracy, Thomas Jefferson, statesman, lawyer and the third President of the United States of America, once said that “if he had to choose between government without newspapers and newspapers without government, he would not hesitate to choose the latter.” The first amendment in the US Constitution protects the freedom of speech and press, among others.

Often, we refer to the media as the Fourth Estate of the Realm. Just like the legislature makes laws, the executive enforces laws and the judiciary interprets the laws, the media have the role of informing, educating and entertaining the public. How do the media perform these multiplicity of roles? They offer interpretative reporting, with relevant background information to the news, explanation of associated events and analysis of their importance and implications.

They also engage in investigative reporting, especially as it concerns matters of public interest. Ample evidence from research has shown that quality media reportage of public interest issues, engages citizens in governance and helps to check the excesses of the three arms of government. 

As an active player in the media industry like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I don’t think that Idris needs further sensitisation on Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression. However, for the benefit of my readers who may not be conversant with both concepts, let me offer explanation here.  Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression are guaranteed in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended). Section 22 of the Constitution States the obligation of the mass media. It says: “The press, radio and television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times, be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people.”

Also, Section 39 (1) of the same Constitution recognizes “freedom of speech” and advocates the formation of the media as an instrument of democracy. It says “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression including freedom top hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference….” Section 39 (2) accords every citizen the right to own, establish and operate any medium for the dissemination of information, ideas and opinion.”

The interminable advancement in technology in the world today has taken the functions of the media beyond its traditional role of educating, informing and entertaining the public. Not only have they become important tools for surveillance and mobilization in the society, the advent of the new media has made the role of the media in the society boundless.

Press freedom allows journalists to report freely on matters of public interest without encumbrances from any quarters. It is essential in a democracy to protect human rights, promote transparency and accountability in government, and curb corruption and other forms of abuse of political power.

Given his background as a newspaper publisher, I expect Idris to join the crusade for press freedom, which is key to entrenchment of good governance and public accountability in the country. He must not follow the footsteps of his predecessor, Lai Mohammed who tried to stifle press freedom while in office.

He should see the media as a partner in progress and not an adversary. The media’s role as the fourth estate is even more critical at this time the country is burdened with numerous socio-political and economic challenges, occasioning widespread insecurity, ethnic and religious tension, to mention but a few.

Finally, I am happy that the new Information Minister promised to prioritise national orientation, one of the core mandates of his ministry. This arm of his ministry suffered serious neglect under his predecessor. A vigorous pursuit of a national orientation programme will help Nigerians to imbibe a new mindset. A new mindset will help in fostering national cohesion and integration to promote harmonious ethnic relations with the ultimate goal of engendering togetherness, needed for confronting the myriad of problems confronting the country. This goal is achievable with the support of a vibrant media industry.

Regrettably, the media industry in Nigeria has been squeezed by the pandemic and economic downturns in the country, causing huge revenue and job losses. Like other sectors, the media industry is also groaning over the fuel subsidy removal. Courtesy of the media, we are daily informed about the implementation of the government palliative measures to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal on the people and different sectors of the economy. Ironically, nobody is talking about palliatives for the media themselves, who also badly hit by the subsidy removal.

In the advanced democracies like the US and United Kingdom, government at different levels support the media industry, especially in times of economic crunch in order to safeguard jobs, Nigeria should therefore not be an exception.

There is nothing wrong with the federal government offering lifeline to the entire media industry in Nigeria without necessarily infringing on its freedom. Hence, besides promoting press freedom, I expect Idris to prioritise the welfare of the media industry in Nigeria.

Nzomiwu, a journalist and public affairs commentator writes from Awka, Anambra State