 |
 |
|
Media
Rights Monitor - July 2000
NLC Commends Independent Media President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, speaking in Abuja has commended the independent media for its objective reporting of the nationwide strike by workers in protest over the recent hike in the pump prices of petroleum, products. Addressing workers in front of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) complex after a rally Oshiomhole, however, condemned the government-owned media for distorting labour activities in their reports. While accusing the information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, of instructing government media to black out labour activities, the NLC President said it should not be used to promote the interest of the government. Oshiomhole, who insisted on seeing the Managing Director of NTA, Mr. Ben Murray Bruce, said if the management of the NTA did not allow the organisation to do proper reporting, it had no cause to exist, adding: "It must identify with the aspirations of its viewers". He noted that Channels Television, Murhi International Television (MITV) and Minaj Broadcast International had been courageous in their presentations as they report both the government and labour's stand on the face - off. According to him: "They have faithfully and dutifully reported the President, while at the same time, faithfully, dutifully and conscientiously reported the people". "We all have a duty to defend democracy to the best of our ability", he stated. He added that the management of the media organisations should realise that workers were entitled, as a matter of right to objective reporting. JODER Demands Justice for Arrested Journalists The Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER) had called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to investigate the alleged inhuman and uncivilised act inflicted on two journalists in the employ of Minaj Broadcasting International (MBI) television while carrying out their legitimate assignment in Abuja. JODER, in a statement signed by its Research/Publicity Secretary, Mr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, stated that the affected journalists, Messrs. Ken Eseni and Wale Fatoye, reporter and cameraman respectively, were on June 9, 2000, attacked beaten up, arrested and taken to the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Abuja. They were, however, said to have been released later and taken to Iduma Specialist Hospital, Abuja, where they received treatment as the time of filing this report, following the severe bodily injuries they sustained. The journalists, according to JODER, were on the invitation of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barnabas Gemade, at the party's secretariat, in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, for a press briefing which could not hold as scheduled. The Federal Government of Nigeria on June 22 inaugurated the Nigeria Media Trust Fund Steering Committee in Abuja. Speaking at the inauguration, the Information Minister, Professor Jerry Gana said the fund was necessary to augment government's budgetary allocation to the media. He lamented the deplorable state of government media nationwide. According to the minister, "without adequate funding, we cannot translate works into action and we all know that information technology is the most rapidly growing system in the world." He enjoined the members of the Committee not to lower their standard on bridging the digital divide because Nigerians deserve the best. The Committee Chairman, Mallam Nasir Danladi Bako, the Acting Director General of the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, promised, on behalf of the others that they would do all they could to reduce the inferiority complex suffered by Nigerian media practitioners when they travel abroad because they always lag behind.
|