The Federal Government has been cautioned not to make any attempt to resuscitate the dreaded, draconian Decree 4 Press Law through the amendments of the Nigerian Press Council Act and the National Broadcasting Commission Act currently before the National Assembly.
A socio-political activist and critic, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, gave the warning in Lagos on Wednesday, adding that re-introducing the law through the back door by the APC- led Federal Government will be resisted through constitutional means by democrats in the country.
He emphasised that such amendments were diversionary when millions of Nigerians were dying of hunger and the farmers could not go to their farms and people’s movements are restrained because of insecurity perpetrated by armed herdsmen, kidnappers, terrorists in addition to the fact that corruption has reached rooftops and the economy remains comatose.
Chief Onitiri said that embarking on such amendments now, is like taking the people for a ride and testing their will because they are hungry and angry. He added that the press is the watchdog of the society apart from informing, educating and entertaining the people, explaining that this is why it is called the Fourth Estate of the Realm.
“Therefore, amending the Nigerian Press Council Act and the National Broadcasting Commission Act now by the National Assembly is laced with sinister motive to strangulate and whittle down the power of the press as guaranteed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution 1999 as Amended.
“It is also an attempt to clamp down on the opposition parties expressing divergent views the APC believed to be distasteful. The draconian provisions in the Senator Odebunmi Olusegun sponsored bills are meant to criminalise, muzzle and strangle the media which is the friend and defender of the common people in the society,” he stated.
Chief Onitiri pointed out that even under colonial rule, Nigerians still enjoyed some measures of press freedom which enabled Nigerian nationalists to fight and demand for the people’s freedom.
“The APC Government, President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed should see themselves as the servants of the people, and not impose any draconian laws on them when we are not under military rule,” the socio-political critic said.
Onitiri pointed out that if the last PDP government headed by Jonathan Goodluck had imposed draconian laws when in power, Alhaji Mohammed and some APC would be in jail by now, urging the President and other APC leaders to act softly and tread carefully because the evils that men do, according to the renowned dramatist, William Shakespeare, lives after them.
The activist advised the National Assembly to leave the two laws alone and face all other pressing national problems that will alleviate the people from hunger and poverty.
“The Assembly should concern itself with solving the numerous problems confronting the nation and not be part of the problems of our nation. It should no longer be seen as the rubber stamp of the Executive,” Onitiri added.
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