…Asks State governor to immediately rescind action
The International Press Institute (IPI) in Nigeria has condemned the order by the Zamfara State government to shut down some media organisations operating in the State.
The IPI Nigeria made this known in an issued statement signed by its President, Musikilu Mojeed, yesterday.
The affected media houses are the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigerias (FRCN) Pride FM, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Gamji Television, Vision FM and Al-Umma Television ) in Gusau, the state capital.
Mojeed stated that the Zamfara State government does not have the power to shut down media houses. According to him, shutting down media houses is a violation of the fundamental right to freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria.
IPI Nigeria, in the statement, called on the Zamfara State Police Commissioner not to enforce an illegal directive by the government.
It further stated that “If any media organisation has flouted any law, the only option opened to the Zamfara State government is to approach the court for redress; resorting to self-help, as done by the Zamfara State government, threatens the rule of law and could lead to anarchy.
By shutting down media houses, the Zamfara State government has taken the law into its own hands. No entity, no matter how powerful, is allowed to take the law into its hands.
The IPI Nigeria President, therefore, reiterated its demand for immediate withdrawal of all directives impeding freedom of expression in Zamfara State, and is demanding an apology from the State government for “its obnoxious act”.
IPI Nigeria also calls on federal authorities to direct the Zamfara State governor to comply with the dictates of the rule of law by immediately withdrawing the order for the shutting down of the media organisations, and henceforth desist from any such act”, the statement added.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has also called on the Zamfara State Security Council, headed by Governor Bello Matawalle to rescind its decision to shut down the media organisations. The NUJ made the call in an issued statement yesterday, by its National Secretary, Shu’aibu Leman.
Recall that the Zamfara State Commissioner of Information, Ibrahim Dosara, in a radio broadcast on Saturday, said that the affected media organisations had violated their professional ethics, accusing the stations of attending and covering a political rally organised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State.
