Breaking: Press freedom under attack in Nigeria, editors cry out
As the world marks the World Press Freedom Day today (May 3), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has cried out over the emasculation of media practitioners by politicians and government agents in Nigeria. The Guild also expressed concern over issues of access to and dissemination of information by the independent press, saying they are currently under attack, while calling for urgent actions to stem the tide.
The body of editors also warned that democracy was in danger where a free press was threatened.
In a media statement endorsed by the NGE’s President, Mustapha Isah and the General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, to mark the World Press Freedom Day. They noted that while the threat to media freedom in Nigeria was real, the impact on democratic space in the country would be very dangerous, if not checked.
“There is urgent need to protect the media; because the impact of the suffocating economic and political environment being created by the government will be very dangerous to our democracy. A threat to the media is a threat to our democracy”, the editors stated.
‘’Governments at all levels must take the lead in making sure that their actions do not inspire violations of press freedom. A democratic society like Nigeria should know that it has a crucial role to play in maintaining media freedom and facilitating access to public information”, the editors admonished.
They also called on the Federal Government to take urgent and decisive steps in addressing the exorbitant cost of newsprint and broadcast equipments, to ease the work of media owners and all practitioners in the country.
