NHRC Faults NBC Fines On Media Houses

*Tells Journalists Be Courageous, Patriotic, Uphold the
Truth Always

The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC), Mr Tony Ojukwu has urged journalists in the country to
remain courageous as well as upholding the truth always in the
course of their duties to human kind and country.

Ojukwu gave the charge just as he extolled the conduct of the
Nigerian press for exhibiting a high level of professionalism
despite alleged intimidation and harassment by some members of the
society.

The charge was part of his message to journalists on the
commemoration of the 2021 World Press Freedom Day (WPFD).

The NHRC’s boss in a statement noted that majority of
journalists in Nigeria had severally lived up to their professional
duties to unearth wrongdoings in the society, no matter whose ox is
gored, even at the risk of their lives and that of their family
members.

According to Ojukwu, the theme of this year’s commemoration,
“Information for Public Good”, is apt because it reminds both the
government and the citizens of the importance of information as a
tool for national development, particularly in the current world
order where the new/social media is making a tremendous impact on
people’s attitudes and perceptions.

“It is therefore instructive that the media which has remained
an agent of socialisation could rightly be deployed to drive
government policies and programmes to the grassroots level”, Ojukwu
stated.

The Executive Secretary in the statement signed by the NHRC’s
Deputy Director Public Affairs, Mrs Fatima Mohammed, reiterated the
need to widen the civic space rather than shrinking, adding that
the media exists for the public good and by extension a catalyst
for openness and good governance.

He said that recent legislations and policies of the National
Broadcasting Corporation which has been challenged by well-meaning
Nigerians should be revisited to avoid human rights infringements
while administering such legislations and policies.

“Similarly, we stand with Civil Society to condemn the attempts
of some parliamentarians to pass bills restricting social media and
civic space. We also stand with civil society to condemn attempts
by NBC to impose excessive fines on media houses for activities
based on information to the citizens”, the Executive Secretary
said.

He however called on the authorities of the Nigerian Union of
Journalist (NUJ) to put effective modalities in place to get rid of
quacks in the system, adding that such quacks practice the
profession in a wrong way thereby perpetrating fake news, hate
speech, and other unethical conduct which are capable of causing
national disunity.

Referring to journalists as human rights defenders, the Chief
Human Rights Officer used this opportunity to urge the UN system,
African Union (AU), and other international bodies to persuade
their member nations to put stringent legislation in place to curb
violence against journalists as well as promote life insurance
policies for them in countries where they are not already in place.
“This would ensure that families of any deceased or maimed
journalists are given the social security protection that they
deserve”, Ojukwu added.

*Tells Journalists Be Courageous, Patriotic, Uphold the
Truth Always

The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC), Mr Tony Ojukwu has urged journalists in the country to
remain courageous as well as upholding the truth always in the
course of their duties to human kind and country.

Ojukwu gave the charge just as he extolled the conduct of the
Nigerian press for exhibiting a high level of professionalism
despite alleged intimidation and harassment by some members of the
society.

The charge was part of his message to journalists on the
commemoration of the 2021 World Press Freedom Day (WPFD).

The NHRC’s boss in a statement noted that majority of
journalists in Nigeria had severally lived up to their professional
duties to unearth wrongdoings in the society, no matter whose ox is
gored, even at the risk of their lives and that of their family
members.

According to Ojukwu, the theme of this year’s commemoration,
“Information for Public Good”, is apt because it reminds both the
government and the citizens of the importance of information as a
tool for national development, particularly in the current world
order where the new/social media is making a tremendous impact on
people’s attitudes and perceptions.

“It is therefore instructive that the media which has remained
an agent of socialisation could rightly be deployed to drive
government policies and programmes to the grassroots level”, Ojukwu
stated.

The Executive Secretary in the statement signed by the NHRC’s
Deputy Director Public Affairs, Mrs Fatima Mohammed, reiterated the
need to widen the civic space rather than shrinking, adding that
the media exists for the public good and by extension a catalyst
for openness and good governance.

He said that recent legislations and policies of the National
Broadcasting Corporation which has been challenged by well-meaning
Nigerians should be revisited to avoid human rights infringements
while administering such legislations and policies.

“Similarly, we stand with Civil Society to condemn the attempts
of some parliamentarians to pass bills restricting social media and
civic space. We also stand with civil society to condemn attempts
by NBC to impose excessive fines on media houses for activities
based on information to the citizens”, the Executive Secretary
said.

He however called on the authorities of the Nigerian Union of
Journalist (NUJ) to put effective modalities in place to get rid of
quacks in the system, adding that such quacks practice the
profession in a wrong way thereby perpetrating fake news, hate
speech, and other unethical conduct which are capable of causing
national disunity.

Referring to journalists as human rights defenders, the Chief
Human Rights Officer used this opportunity to urge the UN system,
African Union (AU), and other international bodies to persuade
their member nations to put stringent legislation in place to curb
violence against journalists as well as promote life insurance
policies for them in countries where they are not already in place.
“This would ensure that families of any deceased or maimed
journalists are given the social security protection that they
deserve”, Ojukwu added.