The Kaduna State Command Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for the publication of a story about over the massacre of innocent citizens in southern Kaduna. Mr Samuel Aruwan, the commissioner of Home Affairs and internal security, had reported to the police stating a part of the report indicts him hence his arrest. These recurring arrests and harassment of Nigerian journalists by state actors is an indicator of the unwillingness of the government to accept and appreciate the role of media in a democracy.
We see the work of the news media, particularly investigative journalists, who expose corruption by state institutions and officials, as complementary Buy Bulk SMS Service to the Government’s stated policy of fighting against corruption. In exposing corruption in government, the news media is playing its constitutional role of holding the government and public office holders to account on behalf of the people. For this reason, the Government should see the news media as partners and not adversaries and define itself through support and protection to enable this accountability obligation.
As it is, allowing government officials accused of corruption to use state power and resources as shields from scrutiny, amounts to undermining the government’s credibility and supposed anti-corruption war.We call on the Federal Government to take measures to put an end to these attacks on the critical media and protect journalists from corrupt government officials who have been exposed by journalists through their investigative reporting. We would like to warn that if allowed to continue, this trend of public officials attacking journalists for their critical reporting, will embolden others and would soon pose a really grave danger to journalism practice and freedom of the press in Nigeria, which are very critical pillars in building and sustaining democracy in any society.
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發表於 2024-2-22 13:04:55