The Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) has raised the alarm over plan by the Federal Government to re-introduce the moribund Press Council. In a communique, issued at the end of its meeting, held on Tuesday, the newspapers proprietors noted that the existence of Press Council ran contrary to the spirit of democratic governance.
According to the association, the Press Council had been declared unconstitutional by a competent court of law as it was used mainly by military junta to gag the free flow of information and press freedom.
The statement, signed by NPAN’s president, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, also frowned at the re-opening of the trial of the two journalists of Leadership newspapers after the Federal Government had withdrawn the case against them and their company.
Parts of the communique ran thus: “The association notes with concern, that there is a clandestine move to revive the moribund Press Council, which is usually an official tool to gag the press. During past military dictatorships, unsuccessful attempts were made to use the Council against press freedom.
“Since we have a democratically elected government in place over the last 14 years and counting, we do not expect our elected leaders to follow the tried and failed tactics of past dictatorships in Nigeria.
“Recent moves by some undemocratic elements in the Federal Government indicate that there are still persons in the government who will rather not have a free and fair press but prefer to take steps to abridge the freedom of the press and the right of the people to have unfettered access to information.
“The NPAN particularly views with concern, the surreptitious move by these officials to bring back through the back door, the Nigerian Press Council, which a court of competent jurisdiction had declared unconstitutional three years ago.”
NPAN stated that Justice A.M. Liman of the Federal High Court, Lagos had described the Press Council as unconstitutional in his ruling of February 25, 2010 in the suit No FHC/L/CS/1324, filed by NPAN against the President, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Minister of Information and the National Assembly.
“We call on the Federal Government to respect the reasoned judgment on The Press Council and help deepen our democracy by encouraging the full and complete implementation of The Freedom of Information Act signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan himself in a signal to the nation and the world that he would run an open government anchored on a free press,” the communique added.
On the re-opening of the case against Leadership journalists, NPAN said such action would be ‘inconsistent with the spirit of our collective democratic journey and unhelpful in the circumstances.’
Source: Sun
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