FG Dismisses Reporters Without Borders’ Survey, Restates Commitment to Press Freedom
Olawale Ajimotokan
The federal government yesterday dismissed a recent survey by Reporters Without Borders, alleging that Nigeria’s press freedom rating has been on a sustained decline since 2015.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the report contained inaccuracies and should be taken with a pinch of salt.
In a statement issued in Abuja to mark the World Freedom Day 2017, Mohammed stated the commitment of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to upholding the freedom of the press.
He said in spite of the inaccurate and fake news saturating the media space, government has not locked up any journalist as a result of his or her professional conduct.
The minister said even though there are reports of high-handedness by some states against some journalists and bloggers for alleged misconduct, the federal government has assumed a deliberate policy of not joining issues with the media, because of its unflinching commitment to
upholding the tenets of democracy, which include free press and freedom of speech. He described the recent incident involving The Punch Correspondent covering
the State House as an aberration, adding that the speed with which the order barring the correspondent from the State House was reversed has lent credence to the fact that this government is not out to muzzle the press.
Mohammed recalled that the accreditation of the current Chairman of the State House Press Corps, Ubale Musa, which was withdrawn by the previous administration, was immediately restored upon the assumption of office by the Buhari administration, in order to give the media
unhindered access to the seat of power.
He therefore pledged the readiness to this administration to always
create a conducive environment for the media to thrive and to continue
to discharge its constitutional mandate without hindrance.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, has decried the increasing rate of poverty in the country despite billions of naira spent by government on several alleviation programmes.
This came as Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said his administration would empower traditional rulers to participate in the initiation, implementation and monitoring of projects and programmes in rural communities.
The duo spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt at the Traditional Rulers’ Day as part of the Rivers Golden Jubilee celebrations.
The Sultan, who delivered the keynote address on the theme: ‘Traditional Institution in Nigeria and The Challenge of Re-Engineering Viable Local Economies,’ noted that the billions of naira spent on poverty alleviation programmes across the