NUJ condemns closing of media houses in Zamfara

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By Aminu Kutama

The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the Zamfara State government for closing four media houses in the state.

The state government had on Saturday through a radio broadcast announced the shut down the offices of NTA, Pride FM, Gamji TV and Al’umma TV in the state for covering a political gathering of the PDP governorship candidate, Dauda Lawal.

However in a statement by the National Secretary the union, Shuaibu Usman Leman, the NUJ described the governor’s move as a new level of impunity in Nigeria’s history.

Mr Leman also described the media as an important tool in monitoring the activities of security institutions and their personnel, warning that any attempt to muzzle it will be counterproductive and will backfire against the state government.

“In a radio broadcast yesterday, the Commissioner of Information in the State, Ibrahim Dosara said that the affected media organisations, NTA, Gamji TV, Umma TV and Pride radio (FM) all based in Gusau the State capital had violated their professional ethics. He accused the stations of attending and covering a political rally organised by the Peoples Democratic Party-PDP in the State.

“According to Dosara, the State Government had suspended all political activities in the State for security reasons, as such journalists are not expected to carry out their professional responsibilities as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution in Chapter 2 Section 22, which 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 (Chapter 2 of the Constitution) and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people.

“For a State Government to arbitrarily override a section of the Nigerian constitution and the National Broadcasting Commission-NBC code, in a democracy like ours, which recognises the role of the mass media, and the freedom of expression for its citizens speaks volume of the level of impunity the county has descended into.

“It is instructive to emphasise that the media have a very crucial role to play in monitoring security institutions and their personnel thereby helping citizens to understand what is taking place all the time and to enable them make informed decisions.

“It is therefore counterproductive to attempt to muzzle free and independent media which are key elements in a democracy where they perform important roles as transmission buckles between the society and those who govern,” the statement warned.

“We quickly wish to remind the Chairman of the Zamfara State Security Council who is the Governor of the State to tread with caution because such ill-timed, hasty decisions taken without due deliberation will only aggravate the already fragile nature of security in the State. This development clearly negates the efforts to strengthen peace and restore normalcy in Zamfara State, and to promote democracy and development.”

“His Excellency, Bello Matawalle and members of the Zamfara State Security Council should act fast to correct this negative development, taking into consideration the fact that freedom of the media is essential in enabling democracy, free and participative societies,” the NUJ added.

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