17102019 - FG cuts travels, estacodes for ministers, other officials

Harassment, intimidation of
journalists: Lawyers raise concern
By Innocent Anaba, Onozure
Dania
REACTIONS
have
continued to trail
Amnesty International
Monday’s
report,
Endangered Voices, released
at a briefing on state of
freedom of expression and
media freedom in Abuja,
detailing harassments,
intimidation, sometimes
physically assault and
arbitrary arrests by Nigerian
authorities of Journalists,
bloggers and activists,
simply for doing their job or
expressing dissenting
opinions, which it noted was
on the increase.
In this edition of Law and
Human Rights, we bring to
you the view of lawyers, as
they expressed concern over
the development.
Excerpt:
Prof Ernest Ojukwu,
SAN.
The report of harassment,
Legal History Society of Nigeria inaugurated in Lagos
By Innocent Anaba
LEGAL History Society of
Nigeria, has been
inaugurated with its maiden
conference with the theme:
“Does Legal History Matter?”
held in Lagos.
The body, boast of imminent
personalities as members,
which include Chief Anthony
Idigbe, SAN, Prof. Fabian
Ajogwu, SAN, Prof. Fidelis
Oditah, QC, SAN, Mr. Tayo
Oyetibo, SAN, Chief Bayo Ojo,
SAN, for Attorney General of
the Federation and former
President of Nigerian Bar
Associattion, NBA, Richard
Akinnola, Mr. Nduka
Obaigbena, Thisday Newspaper
Publisher, Mr Supo Shasore,
former Attorney General of
Lagos State, Prof. Philip Girard
of Osgoode Hall School, Canada
among others.
They noted at the event that
preserving the legal history of
the country in such a manner
that it could be easily retrieved
when needed, would assist
future generations in terms of
understanding the reasoning
behind every piece of
legislation.
Stressing the importance of
legal history, Idigbe, SAN, who
is President of the body,
explained “If legal history is not
preserved, we may be doing
things the wrong way in the
future or do them differently.
“So, it is not just the issue of
preserving legal history, it is
about the ability to recall or
retrieve it and use it. You
should not work for what has
EDITORIAL
Innocent Anaba
( Editor)
Ikechukwu Nnochiri
Henry Ojelu,
Onozure Dania
arrest and detention of
journalists in Nigeria by
government agents is a
disturbing trend that
challenges our hope for
democracy and freedoms. It
a cause for concern. In all
history, the introduction of
dictatorships commenced
with the harassment of
journalists and citizens who
spoke out against governance
wrongs.
“Once there is a successful
clamp down on freedom of
speech and freedom of
information all other human
and people’s rights become a
mirage. I hope that all well
meaning person’s will
continue to speak out on this
issue and keep calling out our
leaders and agents who think
that they themselves would
be safe in a country without
freedoms.”
Solomon Akuma SAN,
said “It is unfortunate. It is a
sign to gag the press and
freedom of expression and a
Left: Prof. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, Mr. ED Emeka Keazor, Prof. Philpi
Girard, Chief Tony Idigbe, SAN and Supo Shasore, SAN,after the
presentation of Sourvenir to Prof. Girard at the event.
been worked for in the past. We
should be building on what has
been worked for instead. In a
situation where there is a gap
between what we do today and
what was done in the past, it
will result in doing the things
all over again and that will
limit our experience. The more
experienced you are, the easier
it is to do things,” he said.
According to him, the society
is trying to identify where the
history can be found, retrieve
it, and store it in a manner that
it can be recalled, be it in the
manner of electronic format,
books and oral history.
Ajogwu, who
chaired a panel on
Legal History and
Politics said, “If you
don’t know the
reason why certain
laws are passed or
what led to some
reforms, the next
time you are about to
do it, you might not
know how to proceed.
“If you listen to the
debate on how
certain laws are
made, they aid in
adjudication and
deciding what was
the mischief it
sought to cure. We
felt that it is
clear indication of
intolerance to opposing
views.”
Prof Sam Erugo, Dean,
Faculty of Law, Abia State
University
There’s general clampdown
on those critical of this
government, it’s not limited
to journalists. The spate of
harassment, arrests and
detention of innocent citizens
is worrisome. The journalists
are usually victims in
situations such as the present
in Nigeria. There’s is apparent
impunity and abuse of
executive powers by agents
of the executive arm; and this
can only be addressed by the
executive. The rule of law
should dictate the course of
action of every agent of
government. Baton will
always change, and today’s
agent-supremo could
become the hunted
tomorrow.
Mrs Ethel Nwabuzor
important not just to be quoting
English laws, we need to
document our own legal
history.” According to him, the
case of Ahmed Tijani and
Adesugba, a 1920s matter dealt
with ownership and integrity
of the judiciary at that time
and specifically the politics of
that time because the country
was than a protectorate.
He further said, “If you drive
around Ikoyi, Lagos, you will
see Bourdilion and McPherson.
Those are our history. We
cannot just assume that future
generations will know. They
deserve to really know what our
legal history was. That is what
VANGUARD, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019—51
It’s not just illegal but also
unconstitutional, A flagrant
violation of their
fundamental human rights as
enshrined under the 1999
Constitution. It is also an
assault on the Freedom of
Information Act.
Olanrewaju Ajanaku
One evil that can be
catastrophic if allowed to
fester is the gag of the realm
of journalism. They can make
or mar the government. Woe
betides that government that
makes or attempts to gag the
watchdog of the society.
On the basis of seeing
journalism and journalists as
the prism of our ‘sights.’ It is
unfortunate that there seems
to be an unwitting
clampdown on journalists in
this era and this should not be
so. Some would argue that
with the state of infringements
on fundamental rights of
people, particularly,
journalists, that the
government of the day is
becoming despotic.
“Some others would argue
that if the government of the
day does not put its feet
down, certain individuals or
certain professionals like
journalists would not know
that there is a limit to freedom
of speech. By and large, one
would begin to wonder if there
should not be a meeting and
Legal History
Society is
doing -
showing the
n e x u s
between laws
and society,
laws and
religion as
well as laws
and politics.
It touches
every other
thing because
a lawless
society is not a
society.”
Speaking as
a panelist on
legal history
and the role of
newspapers,
publisher of
Thisday
Newspapers,
M r .
Obaignena said: “If you run a
good company, you can attract
investment from anywhere.
We have to determine our
future in 2023. It is how we
build that future that will
determine our development.
And in doing that we need a
strong legal institutions and
services as well as a robust
media.”
Akinnola, a media expart
decried what he described as
lack of research and in depth
investigation among
journalists and expressed
optimism that the society would
help to deepen learning in that
area.
melting point between the
government and the
journalists to warrant a
balance and avoid
unnecessary arrests,
batteries, assault of all sorts
and even confinements in
very extreme cases as has
been brought to the fore by
Amnesty International.
“I begin to wonder the type
of advisers and the advises
that the government is getting
that is making them react to
all sorts of ‘barrages’ and
seeming ‘attacks’ at a time and
policies of government. By
and large, I do believe that
the government really needs
to tread carefully. The
damnation that would follow
such acts as we are seeing now
would be unprecedented. I
sincerely do think that the
government of the days needs
betters advisers in this
regard.
Report of Amnesty
International cannot just be
wished away. It’s high time we
looked critically at the claims
and address the issues that
brought these journalists into
objects of oppression and
address the situation
immediately.
David Fadile
Freedom of Expression is
constitutionally recognised
in any sane climes. Sec 39 of
the 1999 constitution as
amended guaranteed the
freedom of expression of
every person be it Nigerian
citizen or non citizen
however, subject to tort of
libel and defamation. In
furtherance of the above the
government of Nigeria
enacted Freedom of
Information Act so as to
enable Nigerian citizens
access to vital information.
Tragically, the same
government of Nigerian
enacted another legislation
known as Cyber Crimes Act
2015. This act has taken away
the freedom of expression of
the same every person
through the backdoor.
“The journalists both print
and media are against the
letter of the constitution
often issue a disclaimer saying
the information is the view of
xyz and not that of the media
organisation. This is
completely unwarranted in a
democracy. The assault on
the media is avoidable if the
practitioners rather than
bemoaning their current
travails can muster courage
with the support of the civil
societies engage the
government of the day on the
need to protect the
practitioners otherwise the
entire nation is in trouble.
“Additionally, there is the
urgent need to challenge any
legislation
that
surreptitiously takes away
the freedom of expression of
every person in Nigeria such
as the Cyber Crimes Act. I
want to appeal to APC led
government to be tolerant of
opposition, critics etc.