Related Articles
The Zamfara State government’s decision to force the closure of several media outlets there, according to the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, is abhorrent and unacceptable.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
A few official and private media outlets were shut down on Saturday by the state governor, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, for allegedly not carrying out their duties professionally.
The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Gusau and Radio Nigeria’s Pride FM, both controlled by the federal government, were among the media outlets that were impacted. Gamji Television, Vision FM, and Al Umma Television are a few others.
The state has historically been a haven for robberies, kidnappings, and other crimes. A halt of political activity had been ordered by the state administration in response to the tragedy as part of enhanced security measures.
“The Zamfara State Security Council has approved and ordered the closure of several media outlets in the state for infringing the laws of journalism,” said a statement signed by the state’s commissioner of information, Ibrahim Dosara.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara, the state’s main opposition party, did, however, host an event in Gusau that was reported by the media. Thus, the occurrence was covered by the impacted media outlets, which led to the state government taking uncalled-for action.
In a statement signed by Musikilu Mojeed, the president of IPI Nigeria, the organization underlined that the Zamfara State government lacked the authority to close down media outlets and urged the commissioner of the Zamfara State Police not to carry out an unlawful order by the government.
The state’s order is obviously against the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and is not appropriate in a civilized society like ours. It brings back memories for Nigerians of the dark era of the military in Nigeria, when various authoritarian regimes repressed media outlets.
The basic right to freedom of expression, which is protected by Nigeria’s Constitution, is violated when media outlets are shut down.
The Zamfara State government’s only recourse if a media company has broken any laws is to file a lawsuit to seek retribution. The use of self-help, as the Zamfara State administration has done, poses a threat to the rule of law and may result in anarchy.
The Zamfara State government has seized control of the law by closing down media outlets. No organization, no matter how strong, is permitted to impose its own laws.
In light of this, IPI Nigeria once again calls for the immediate withdrawal of all orders restricting free speech in Zamfara State and asks that the state government apologize for its offensive behavior.
IPI Nigeria further urges the federal government to instruct the governor of Zamfara State to abide by the law by promptly rescinding the directive to shut down media outlets and refraining from taking similar actions going forward.
