Reports that the Presidency has sanctioned the compilation of a “black list” of mostly foreign-based online journalists by the State Security Service (SSS), is most unusual and curious for many reasons. Firstly, it smacks of desperation by government to silence critics and reinforces the President’s strong anti-democratic credentials. Besides, it is an unconscionable and unacceptable attack on press freedom and the right to free expression. Above all, it is a violation of the constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Finally, it is an infamy and a sore on Nigeria’s image as a country with deeply dysfunctional institutions where bizarre things can happen.
The so-called “catch-them” list is apparently intended for use by the SSS to harass and intimidate journalists who are considered by their reporting to be hostile to the Nigerian government and President Jonathan. Huhuonline.com understands that the Presidency has reinstated the list of mostly US-based online media journalists to the SSS with instructions to block them from entering the country. The list was said to have been generated by aides to the President and vetted by Jonathan’s advisers.
The SSS watch list prominently features the name of the publisher/editor of this medium, Emmanuel Emeke Asiwe. Other online journalists on list include the publishers of 247ureports.com; Elombah.com the publisher of the African Examiner, amongst others. Two other online Journalists who were on the black list have reportedly been taken off, after they joined President Jonathan’s 2015 presidential election team headed by Doyin Okupe.
This is not the first time the government is employing gestapo tactics to intimidate and harass the press. The SSS, in the recent past, had generated a black list during the Yar’Adua/Jonathan administration which resulted in the arrest of the publisher of Huhuonline.com, Emmanuel Asiwe, Publisher of Elendureport, Jonathan Elendu and a columnist of Sahara reporters, Okey Ndibe. The three Journalists were arrested by SSS operatives upon their arrival in Nigeria – at the Airport immigration counter. Asiwe and Elendu were detained for 8 days, while Ndibe was detained for over a week without any formal charges brought against them.
Mr. Asiwe was arrested in October 2008 shortly after his arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos from the United States. His passport and valuables were seized by SSS operatives who initially accused him of being a spy for foreign intelligence agencies out to destabilize Nigeria. But later admitted to Mr. Asiwe that his arrest was at the order of Abba Ruma, former minister of Agriculture, who was involved in fertilizer racketeering. Huhuonline.com exposed the colossal fraud in July 2008.
Mr. Asiwe challenged his arrest and detention and in January 2009, an Abuja High Court declared his incarceration unconstitutional, null and void. (see court documents: http://www.pointblanknews.com/os1411.html)
In the recent past, several foreign-based journalists including the Publishers of the African examiner and sharpedgenews.com were detained upon arrival at the airport in Nigeria, simply because the Presidency has put their names on the watch list. The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Nasir El-Rufai was arrested and questioned by security officers ostensibly for publishing an opinion critical of the government in ThisDay newspaper. Also,Publisher of thetimesofnigeria.com, Sunny Ofili, suffers unreasonable delays at entry and exit points into Nigeria, due to the reinstated “Watch List”.
It is worth noting that the online news portals provide a global alternative media network for critical and independent reporting, particularly of political and social justice issues, especially corruption without fear of physical harassment from government agents since they operate mostly from outside Nigeria. Therefore these acts of harassment and intimidation against non-resident journalists constitute a despicable and unacceptable attack on the basic human right of freedom of expression and on the media’s democratic right to act as the watchdog of society without fear or hindrance.
Regrettably, these acts of intimidation against foreign-based journalists, including attacks on press freedom intensify in the countdown to major elections. During these periods, journalists are frequent targets of overzealous police and SSS agents, who arrest and detain them without judicial or legal justification. The constitution guarantees press freedom and free expression, but journalists continues to face intimidation and harassment, making Nigeria “a dangerous place to practice journalism,” according to the rights watchdog, Freedom House.
President Jonathan’s decision to silence criticism of his government by arm-twisting and muzzling online media journalists is indeed unfortunate. Legally, Section 36 (1) of the 1999 constitution guarantees press freedom. It stipulates that: “every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference”. Section 39(2) guarantees that “…every person shall be entitled to own, establish and operate any medium for the dissemination of information, ideas and opinions”.
In Section 22, the responsibility of the media to hold the government accountable to the people is defined. It states that: “the press, radio, television and other agencies of 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”. Section 16 gives the media the right and freedom to ensure that governments uphold good governance and “control the national economy in such a manner as to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity”.
The implication of this section of the Constitution is that the media has been empowered to investigate and criticize poor and corrupt leadership and promote political stability, economic prosperity and social justice. The enactment of the Freedom of Information Act in May 2011 compels government agencies to provide information on demand from citizens and the media. The law, though a significant development for widening the space for free information flow, transparency and accountability in governance; has had little or no impact on the culture of secrecy that has come to define the Jonathan presidency.
On World Press Freedom Day last week, Nigeria’s Information Minister, Labaran Maku, publicly asserted that the Nigerian media “is one of the freest in the universe.” On paper, the constitution guarantees the freedom of the press to “uphold…the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people.” But journalists who attempted to put this principle to practice on World Press Freedom Day experienced a different reality – one all too common in Nigeria.
On May 3 2012, seven journalists went to the police Special Fraud Unit (SFU) in Lagos, to interview the former state governor and current House rep, Bukola Saraki, whom police had summoned to respond to allegations of corruption, according to local media reports. Police officials directed the journalists to the office of the police spokesperson in an adjacent building. But as Saraki emerged, preparing to leave, the personal assistant to SFU Police Commissioner Tunde Ogunsakin rushed to the office and locked the journalists inside until Saraki and his entourage departed.
The journalists were: Oluwole Adeboye(The News magazine and PM News); Patience Ogbo (Daily Times Online), Emmanuel Oshodi (The News/PM News); Benjamin Ezeamalu (Premium Times Online); Eniola Akinkuotu (The Punch); Albert Akpor (Vanguard) and Wisdom Patrick (Daily Independent). On World Press Freedom Day, the Nigerian police conspired to deny these journalists their rights under the Nigeria Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The irony is indeed confounding.
The government neither condemned the act nor took any disciplinary measures against the officers of the Special Fraud Unit. It is for times like this that World Press Freedom Day was founded – to remind us of the danger of allowing press freedom to be violated: that it sets a dangerous precedent for future acts of impunity against journalists, human rights activists, and every citizen of the country. When the merits of such a day aren’t respected, the Nigerian society can only be the worse for it.
Opening the fourth triennial national delegates’ conference of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Abuja, last year, Jonathan pledged: “I am a firm believer in the right and obligation of the media as enshrined in our constitution. I assure you all today that under my leadership, journalists in our country will continue to fully enjoy their constitutional rights and freedom of expression…My administration is conscious of the vital role that the mass media have to play in supporting our transformation agenda and is therefore committed to properly enhance the practice…My administration will have nothing to do with those who try to curtail or abuse the right of the mass media.”
After talking the talk; Jonathan must walk the walk. The President must demonstrate sincerity of purpose and political will to address the problems of press freedom violation in the country. Blacklisting and harassing foreign-based online media journalists is a self-defeating strategy that might succeed momentarily in silencing some journalists but it will be counter-productive in the long run because it is against the public interest.
Huhuonline.com Editorial
