Nigeria: PANEL BARS JOURNALISTS

MEDIA IN NIGERIA #01-17 (01 JULY 2002)
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> > > MEDIA IN NIGERIA is a weekly publication on
> > > developments within and
> > > affecting the media/communication/freedom of
> > > expression sector in Nigeria.
> > >
> > > It is an initiative of the Institute for Media and
> > > Society (IMS), a non-profit,
> > > non-governmental organization based in Lagos, Nigeria.
> > > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
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> > >
> > > NEWS
> > > MEDIA-GENERAL
> > > -OPUTA REPORT: GOVT SETS UP WHITE PAPER PANEL
> > > -PROBE PANEL BARS JOURNALISTS
> > > -ZAMFARA GOVT CLAMPS DOWN ON VENDORS
> > >
> > > BROADCAST MEDIA
> > > -KWARA EXPLAINS JOURNALISTS' REDEPLOYMENT
> > >
> > > INFOTECH
> > > -GOVT INVITES FRESH TENDERS FOR SECOND NATIONAL
> > > CARRIER
> > > -GSM OPERATORS DENY PLAN TO SLASH CHARGES
> > > -GOVT WAIVES OPERATING FEES FOR GSM OPERATORS
> > > -SCHOOL GIRL FIGHTS EXPULSION OVER GSM RECHARGE CARDS
> > >
> > > ADVERTISING
> > > -COURT UPHOLDS APCON'S BAN ON TOBACCO ADS
> > >
> > > ANALYSIS
> > > -JOURNALISM IN DANGER
> > >
> > >
> > > MEDIA-GENERAL
> > >
> > > OPUTA REPORT: GOVT SETS UP WHITE PAPER PANEL
> > >
> > > Unperturbed by the attempt of former military
> > > president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB),
> > > to scuttle the implementation of the report of the
> > > Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission (Oputa
> > > Panel), the Nigerian government last week set up an
> > > eight-man committee to draft a white paper on the
> > > report of the panel.
> > >
> > > President Obasanjo had assured, while receiving the
> > > report of the panel, that the recommendation would
> > > receive urgent attention. He had followed that up by
> > > immediately raising an implementation committee headed
> > > by Mrs. Elizabeth Pam, a member of the Oputa Panel.
> > >
> > > One of the recommendations of the panel was the
> > > re-opening of investigation into the assassination of
> > > late Editor-in-chief of Newswatch magazine, Mr. Dele
> > > Giwa, who was murdered through a parcel bomb on
> > > October 19, 1986.
> > >
> > > The report is believed to have linked Babangida and
> > > his four security chiefs, Brigadier General Halilu and
> > > Colonel A.K. Togun, with the death of Giwa.
> > >
> > > Babangida has gone to court on June 3, seeking an
> > > order to restrain the government from implementing the
> > > recommendation of the panel as it affected him.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > PANEL BARS JOURNALISTS
> > >
> > > Journalists have been barred from the proceedings of
> > > the Justice Bolarinwa Babalakin panel set up by the
> > > National Judicial council (NJC), to probe the bribery
> > > allegation leveled by the former Chief of Army Staff
> > > (COAS), Lt. General Ishaya Bamaiyi, and his co-accused
> > > against a Lagos High Court Judge, Justice Augustine
> > > Ade-Alabi.
> > >
> > > Journalists who had converged on the venue of the
> > > sitting of the panel last week were barred from
> > > covering the proceedings.
> > >
> > > It was the second time that journalists would be
> > > barred from the panel's sitting. Newsmen had earlier
> > > on April 1 been asked out of the venue of the panel's
> > > sitting at Kirikiri prisons, Lagos.
> > >
> > > The panel was set up following allegation by the
> > > accused persons standing trial for the February 1996
> > > attempt on the life of The Guardian publisher, Mr.
> > > Alex Ibru, that presiding judge, Justice Alabi,
> > > through an intermediary, demanded a 10
> > > million-dollar-bribe from them as a condition to set
> > > them free on bail.
> > >
> > > Alabi, had however, denied the allegation, saying that
> > > it was an attempt to smear his name and reputation.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ZAMFARA GOVT CLAMPS DOWN ON VENDORS
> > >
> > > The government of Zamfara State, North-west Nigeria,
> > > has clamped down on vendors selling "soft-sell
> > > publications".
> > >
> > > Four newspaper vendors were last week sentenced to a
> > > fine of N1,000 each, having been found guilty of
> > > selling "Love and Soul", "Hearts", "Hints", "RQB",
> > > "Romance" and "Encomium" magazines by a Sharia Court
> > > in Gusau.
> > >
> > > The vendors, Messrs Chika Uzor, Mustapha Aliyu, Aliyu
> > > Umar, and Musa Abubakar, were nabbed for allegedly
> > > selling illicit magazines which were unislamic and
> > > unacceptable in Zamfara State where the Islamic law
> > > (sharia) is being implemented.
> > >
> > > Alhaji Idris Muhammed Gusau, the presiding judge found
> > > the four guilty of contravening section 92 of the
> > > state Sharia Penal Code.
> > >
> > > Zamfara was the first state to introduce sharia law in
> > > Nigeria.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > BROADCAST MEDIA
> > >
> > > KWARA EXPLAINS JOURNALISTS' REDEPLOYMENT
> > >
> > > Following the furore over the redeployment of some
> > > journalists with the State-run radio station, Radio
> > > Kwara, to the ministry of Information by the Kwara
> > > State Government, the Head of Service, Alhaji Mudi
> > > Adebayo Gold, has tried to justify the action.
> > >
> > > According to Alhaji Gold, the action, which he
> > > described as "normal in the civil service", was aimed
> > > at boosting efficiently.
> > >
> > > He said the exercise was not designed to witch-hunt
> > > anybody, but as part of a morale booster and oiling of
> > > the workforce.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > INFOTECH
> > >
> > > GOVT INVITES FRESH TENDERS FOR SECOND NATIONAL CARRIER
> > >
> > > The government has launched a fresh bid to establish a
> > > second national telecom operator (SNO) to compete with
> > > the Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), with
> > > the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) inviting
> > > firms to tender for a licence to run a new national
> > > network, digital mobile network and international
> > > gateway.
> > >
> > > The offer has a reserve price of $200 million (about
> > > 207 million Euros) and a closing date of July 18.
> > >
> > > The first attempt to set up an SNO collapsed in March
> > > this year when two foreign bidders failed to pay a $20
> > > million non-refundable deposit to participate in a May
> > > 8 auction.
> > >
> > > The defaulting bidders, according to Dave Imoko, NCC's
> > > head of Public Affairs, "are free to re-apply".
> > >
> > > Meanwhile, the International Finance Corporation
> > > (IFC), the private sector lending arm of the
> > > International Monetary Fund (IMF), is said to have
> > > expressed readiness to bear a sizeable part of the
> > > licensing fees of prospective bidders for the SNO.
> > >
> > > The global lending body said it could offer as much as
> > > 25 percent of the total cost of the licensing fee to
> > > the eventual winner.
> > >
> > > NCC's Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive,
> > > Ernest Ndukwe, said IFC's interest in the SNO
> > > represents "a clear vote of confidence and faith in
> > > the SNO licensing process."
> > >
> > > He added that the IFC endorsement "gives us confidence
> > > that we are out to deliver another fool-proof,
> > > transparent licensing of a Second Network Operator
> > > (SNO) after the world acclaimed Digital Mobile
> > > Licensing (DML) last year."
> > >
> > >
> > > GSM OPERATORS DENY PLAN TO SLASH CHARGES
> > >
> > > Contrary to claims by the House of Representatives
> > > (Nigeria's Lower House of Parliament) Ad Hoc Committee
> > > on Global System of Mobile Communications (GSM) that
> > > GSM operations have agreed to substantial reduction in
> > > call charges, the private operators, MTN Nigeria
> > > Limited and Econet Wireless Nigeria Limited, have
> > > denied being part of such a decision.
> > >
> > > In a June 14 letter to Hon. Tony Anyanwu, chairman of
> > > the Ad hoc committee, and jointly signed by MTN's
> > > chief Executive, Mr. Adrian Wood and his Econet
> > > counterpart, Zachary Wazara, the companies denied
> > > reaching any agreement to slash call charges from N50
> > > per minute to N10 per minute, with the committee.
> > >
> > > They expressed dismay that their views during their
> > > discussions with the committee were misinterpreted by
> > > Anyanwu.
> > >
> > > "Since our meeting with your committee on June 6,
> > > 2002, the media has been awash with reports which are
> > > not only false, but also misleading distortions of the
> > > discussions between your committee and both our
> > > organizations on GSM operation in Nigeria," the
> > > companies said.
> > >
> > > The Chief Executive said the committee misinterpreted
> > > "our discussions and to the extent that it purports to
> > > give directives, such directives are ultra vires."
> > >
> > > They said they are by law answerable to the Nigerian
> > > Communications Commission (NCC) and only agreed to
> > > appear before the Anyanwu committee as a matter of
> > > courtesy.
> > >
> > > Meanwhile, a Lagos High Court has fixed July 1 for
> > > hearing in the suit brought against the two private
> > > GSM operators by two subscribers, messrs Bayo
> > > Omotubora and Adeolu Ogunbanjo. The two had filed
> > > separate suits in court, seeking declarations that it
> > > was unjust, unfair, illegal and inequitable for the
> > > communications companies to charge them on a minute
> > > basis when the call duration was less than a minute.
> > >
> > > Omotubora sued MTN while Ogunbanjo instituted his
> > > action against Econet Wireless Limited.
> > >
> > > Both wanted the court to declare that the 'Pay as you
> > > go' services of the two operators which are faster
> > > than the continental time was unjust, inequitable,
> > > extortionist, rapacious and fraudulent.
> > >
> > > The subscribers claim that the inequitable act of the
> > > companies had imposed heavy burden on them, including
> > > denying them usage of their telephone lines and loss
> > > of money used to acquire the lines.
> > >
> > >
> > > GOVT WAIVES OPERATING FEES FOR GSM OPERATORS
> > >
> > > As part of efforts to encourage operators in Nigeria's
> > > telecom sector, the Nigerian government has decided to
> > > waive the annual operating fees for the operators of
> > > the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) for
> > > one year.
> > >
> > > The gesture, according to minister of Communications,
> > > Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, has also been extended to
> > > the recently licensed Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)
> > > operators.
> > >
> > > The minister who spoke through Mrs. Estha Gonda,
> > > Deputy Director, Technical Services of the ministry,
> > > disclosed that plans are underway to establish a
> > > National frequency Management Council (NFMC), which
> > > would serve as a clearing-house, for efficient and
> > > effective management of the entire spectrum.
> > >
> > > He also disclosed that the National Telecommunications
> > > Act is expected to be completed in the next few
> > > months. The Act is expected to give more power to the
> > > NCC, to enable it exercise full autonomy over
> > > regulatory matters in the telecom sector.
> > >
> > >
> > > SCHOOL GIRL FIGHTS EXPULSION OVER GSM RECHARGE CARDS
> > >
> > > Reprieve came the way of 10 year-old Miss Nneka
> > > Achiekwelu who was purportedly expelled from CTC
> > > International School, Ikeja, in mainland Lagos for
> > > allegedly being in possession of a GSM recharge card,
> > > with order by a Lagos High Court mandating the school
> > > to allow her resume lectures pending the hearing of a
> > > preliminary objection filed by the school.
> > >
> > > Nneka, through her father, Mr. Henry Achiekwelu, had
> > > challenged her summary expulsion from CTC
> > > International School on the ground that the action was
> > > a violation of her fundamental human rights guaranteed
> > > by sections 36, 42, 44 and 46 of the 1999 constitution
> > > and Articles 2,7 and 17 of the African Charter on
> > > Human and People Rights.
> > >
> > > Tony Okoroji, in an affidant he deposed to on behalf
> > > of the applicant averred that the decision of the
> > > school to expel the applicant was harsh and extremely
> > > punitive, adding that the applicant was not aware of
> > > any law prohibiting the use of GSM phone or its
> > > accessories in the school.
> > >
> > > But the school authority claimed it expelled the
> > > student for violating an existing law in the school
> > > prohibiting the use of GSM phone or accessories within
> > > the school premises.
> > >
> > > Further hearing has been fixed for September 26, 2002.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ADVERTISING
> > >
> > > COURT UPHOLDS APCON'S BAN ON TOBACCO ADS
> > >
> > > The 'no tobacco advert' order slammed on the media by
> > > the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria
> > > (APCON) has been upheld by a Lagos High Court which
> > > refused the request by the Outdoor Advertising
> > > Association of Nigeria (OAAN) to overturn the order.
> > >
> > > Ruling on the case, Justice Joseph Oshodi, uphelf the
> > > preliminary objection filled by counsel to APCON, Yemi
> > > Olanyanju, challenging the jurisdiction of the court
> > > to entertain the suit.
> > >
> > > The judge ruled that as a Federal Govt agency, any
> > > case involving APCON, the regulatory agency for the
> > > advertising industry in Nigeria, could only be
> > > entertained by a Federal High court.
> > >
> > > APCON had last August prohibited the advertising of
> > > tobacco products by the news media, prohibiting the
> > > use television, outdoor boarding and home video as
> > > from January, this year.
> > >
> > > The ban on outdoor tobacco advertising has negatively
> > > affected the financial fortunes of OAAN members.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ANALYSIS
> > >
> > > JOURNALISM IN DANGER
> > > By Dapo Aderinola
> > >
> > > Suddenly, there is a surge of concern for rank
> > > indiscipline and misbehaviour, which manifest as
> > > corruption in the press. And the resolution, even if
> > > late in coming, to make an end of the monster is
> > > beginning to gather force everyday. That is how it
> > > should be. Pity. So much a long communion tends to
> > > make us what we are. Corruption, as some of our worthy
> > > forebears will tell you, is not new in the press as in
> > > the other professions in this country. They will tell
> > > you of some amongst them in their time, who were
> > > guilty to this established misbehaviour.
> > >
> > > Then, it was no more than such peccadilloes as
> > > black-mailing drink and coercing donations towards
> > > their transport back to the office, although no one
> > > face of corruption is more tolerable.
> > >
> > > What separate them from us are the magnitude and the
> > > sophisticated level of corruption in the press today.
> > > Whereas, then, it was generally a case of a few bad
> > > ones unable to make much meaning of their occupation,
> > > corruption has now become such a cankering thing whose
> > > teeth, I'm afraid, will remain with marks that won't
> > > wear away so easily. If theirs were horrors, this is
> > > woe.
> > >
> > > A few reasons have been advanced with justification
> > > for the tragedy. One of them has to do with the beat
> > > groups such as the League of Airport Correspondents,
> > > Labour Writers Association, Maritime Reporters
> > > Association of Nigeria, Financial Correspondents
> > > Association of Nigeria, the moribund National
> > > Association of Political Correspondents (NAPOC) and of
> > > course, the much older Sports Writers Association
> > > (SWAN), to name but a few. Someone has ingeniously
> > > labeled them as cartel, but I think they are more of
> > > mafia gangs, something akin to an invisible
> > > government.
> > >
> > > There is nothing wrong in a group of professionals
> > > coming together for altruistic reasons. But a problem
> > > arises the moment members of such groups fail to learn
> > > the difference between a man's property in his walking
> > > stick and the public condition that he shall not use
> > > it to break his neighbour's head or extort money with
> > > menaces.
> > >
> > > What we have seen of late is the inevitable havoc that
> > > flows from the confusion of the positions by the mafia
> > > gangs.
> > >
> > > I saw this danger sometimes in 1987 when, as chairman
> > > of Lagos State NUJ, I opposed the creation of such
> > > groups because I feared they would turn into a
> > > Frakenstein monster in no time. Being so few in my
> > > group, we were outnumbered and outgunned by a majority
> > > which supported it. I guess that some of the victors
> > > on the floor of the house must, by now, have rued the
> > > day they backed their birth.
> > >
> > > Soon afterwards, my group was vindicated. Members of
> > > the LAC started to collect donations from individuals
> > > and corporate bodies at the Murtala Mohammed Airport,
> > > Ikeja, ostensibly to furnish the Press Centre. The
> > > Nigeria Airport Authority (NAA) owners of the terminal
> > > building gave a cheque for N5,000 which was good money
> > > then. It took a lot of courage and muscle before we
> > > succeeded in trying the ring-leaders and closing down
> > > their nonsense.
> > >
> > > An encounter with any of the gangs can be instructive.
> > >
> > > Sometime in 1990, we decided at the Daily Times to
> > > replace our correspondent at Ikeja Airport so as to
> > > enhance our competitive edge. What happened? We got a
> > > cheeky note from LAC that the replacement would not be
> > > accredited by NAA without its (LAC) approval! We were
> > > able to defeat the illicit group only after we had
> > > read the riot act to the NAA authorities. Examples of
> > > their brazenness are legion. Which is saying that the
> > > herd has escaped before the stable is now about to be
> > > bolted.
> > >
> > > Of course, the menace of the gangs has always been
> > > there. Who now needs to be reminded that the various
> > > groups have been staging seminars in collaboration
> > > with even federal ministries and parastatals? How can
> > > it be so easily forgotten that some of the groups lent
> > > themselves to abuse, especially in the mindless,
> > > heedless, disorientating days of the military, when
> > > they organized seminars and workshops which provided
> > > the platform for the conferment of ridiculous awards
> > > on some extremely bad fellows in power for pecuniary
> > > gain?
> > >
> > > The point has, quite rightly, been made that some
> > > media employers have a lot to answer for when it comes
> > > to their labour policies. Those of them who offer
> > > platforms to rampaging reporters without caring a hoot
> > > to pay anything, no matter how small, for their
> > > services not only denies itself of organizational
> > > loyalty from such journalists, they are exploiters
> > > whose policies help to foster the malfeasance we all
> > > complain about.
> > >
> > > Even then, it seems to me that some journalists have
> > > acquired so much propensities to grab that no amount
> > > of pay seems enough to satisfy them. Such fellows will
> > > stop at nothing to get on. They are in mad hurry. They
> > > are desperate. And they are engaged in suicidal rat
> > > race.
> > >
> > > A correspondent of a robust Lagos-based newspaper was
> > > once known to have turned over the tape of his
> > > interview with a governorship aspirant in one of the
> > > southwestern states to the incumbent governor who, in
> > > turn, boasted of his ability to know what his
> > > opponents did behind him. Such an unethical behaviour
> > > was enough ground for assassination of an opponent
> > > where a mean man was concerned.
> > >
> > > So, what's to be done? Banning the hateful gangs has
> > > made a good start. But enforcement, in my view, is the
> > > problem. Some of them are so entrenched it will take
> > > quite some doing to dislodge them.
> > >
> > > One way forward is for the Newspapers Proprietor
> > > Association of Nigeria (NPAN) to require its members
> > > to ask any of their employees in such groups to make a
> > > choice between staying out of the gangs to keep their
> > > jobs and losing them if otherwise.
> > >
> > > Perhaps the time has now come for the NPAN, the Guild
> > > of Editors and the NUJ to urgently consider the need
> > > to prevail on media employers to remunerate stringers
> > > most of whom are paid nothing or are routinely
> > > insulted with measly offers.
> > >
> > > Let's face it, outside the clique of power profiteers,
> > > the times are hard for all other Nigerians, including
> > > media employers. The situation is not about to be
> > > helped by the current economic policies of the
> > > government. The resources are not just there to absorb
> > > the horde of genuine and bogus media practitioners
> > > roaming the streets. It is also not feasible for any
> > > national publication to post a staff correspondent to
> > > every corner of the vast country.
> > >
> > > Therefore, a way ought to be found to help the serious
> > > ones amongst live on their sweat by stringing in glad
> > > hope of being paid at the end of the day.
> > >
> > > Thus anyone determined to lift himself by his own
> > > bootstrap rather than live as a leech will be able to
> > > rake up enough from a number of contracts to sustain
> > > him. Europe and America offer us the finest example of
> > > how serious-minded colleagues out there prefer to
> > > string or freelance for the richness of the gain.
> > >
> > > In addition, media owners may wish to consider, as a
> > > demonstration of their opposition to possible
> > > misconduct by their employees, the need to:
> > >
> > > Pay more attention to the activities of their
> > > representatives with particular regard to their
> > > lifestyle in relation to their legitimate income.
> > >
> > > Constantly review postings so than no correspondent is
> > > allowed to stay too long to become enmeshed in
> > > unacceptable situation at an out-post.
> > >
> > > On its part, the Nigerian Press Organization must ban
> > > forthwith the silly seminars, workshops etc being
> > > organized by the sub-groups without the courtesy of
> > > reference to their professional unions and their
> > > employers.
> > >
> > > *Aderinola, former General Manager of The Daily Times
> > > (Lagos) and Executive Editor of "The Anchor",
> > > originally wrote a longer version of this piece for
> > > The Sunday Times (of Lagos).
> > >
> > > -----ENDS----
> > >
> > >
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