Politics
Social Media Bill: NUJ Urges Journalists To Engage In More Advocacy
The President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Christopher Isiguzo, has called on journalists to engage in more advocacy to prevent passage of the Social Media Bill before the National Assembly.
Isiguzo made the call yesterday in Lagos at an interactive session on “Promoting Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in Nigeria’’.
It was organised by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in Lagos.
“We need to engage in more advocacy, because from what I have heard, the leadership of NASS is bent on seeing the bill through,” he said.
According to him, this is only possible if Nigerians fail to be vigilant in their opposition to the bill, which seeks to curtail their freedom of speech.
He said that at the recent public hearing on the bill before the Senate, more than 95 per cent of memorandum received rejected the bill.
“We feel that this bill constitutes an unnecessary distraction to our democratic space, and should be thrown out,’’ the NUJ president said.
Isiguzo noted that there were several factors militating against the freedom of the press in Nigeria, apart from obnoxious legislation.
He said these included poor remuneration for journalists, refusal to pay salaries, ownership interest, harsh working environment and self-censorship.
The union president said that as the Fourth Estate of the Realm, the media should continue to hold governments at all levels accountable in the overall interest of Nigeria.
Also, Deputy Director of SERAP, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, said at the Public Hearing on the bill before the Senate that only two groups, out of 67, spoke in favour of the bill.
According to him, this means that majority of Nigerians were against it.
“Despite this, there are still fears that the Social Media Bill might be passed. We should not forget the impact of the bill on our work as media professionals and Nigerians.
“There is also the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Bill, which is still before the National Assembly.
“These legislations can have big impacts on our work, if passed and signed into law, as it will curtail the freedom of expression in Nigeria,” he said.
The Guest Speaker, Mr Richard Akinnola, a veteran journalist, said that Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, gave media the obligation to hold government at all levels accountable.
Akinnola stated that Section 39 of the same Constitution granted the freedom of expression to all Nigerians, noting that this was, however, being hindered by obnoxious laws by government.
According to him, press freedom in Nigeria in the last 15 years, has been on a downward spiral.
He said that journalists and mass media houses had been facing various attacks by both Federal and State Governments, as well as public officials.
Akinnola flayed the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for the incessant clampdown on television and radio stations in the country.
He said that such attacks were impeding them from carrying out their constitutional responsibilities.
“There is no doubt that many public officials have not imbibed certain democratic norms, which include accepting criticisms.
“Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution is explicit, wherein the media was given a responsibility to hold the government accountable.
“Quite a number of these infractions are committed by the police and the army, which have exhibited lots of intolerance, even under a democratic setting.
“It is also worrisome that many state governors govern their states as fiefdoms, where criticism is seen as an anathema,” Akinnola said.
The House of Representatives has dismissed claims that some federal lawmakers demanded bribes from Vice-Chancellors of Federal Universities to approve their 2025 budget allocations, describing the report as false and misleading.
In a statement issued yesterday, the spokesman for the House, Akin Rotimi, said the publication was a deliberate attempt to tarnish the reputation of the legislature.
“The 10th House of Representatives is firmly committed to transparency, accountability, and the highest ethical standards in all its legislative activities. These values form the bedrock of our operations. It is, therefore, imperative to address the baseless and sensational allegations in the report, which appear to be part of a deliberate attempt to undermine the integrity of the House and erode public trust in this hallowed institution,” the statement read in part.
Rotimi explained that the budget process follows a constitutionally guided and transparent procedure, emphasizing that the 2025 Appropriation Bill was presented by President Bola Tinubu before a Joint Session of the National Assembly in the presence of key government officials and the public.
He further noted that some Vice-Chancellors had failed to appear for their budget defence sessions, despite being constitutionally required.
“This disregard for the legislative process not only impedes legislative oversight and undermines the principles of accountability but also demonstrates a lack of respect for the parliament and the Nigerian people.
“Furthermore, it is a matter of public record that some of these institutions have pending audit queries from the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation and have consistently failed to appear before the House Committee on Public Accounts to clarify these issues. This evasion raises concerns about their governance practices and financial stewardship,” he added.
Rotimi also accused some university administrators of attempting to evade scrutiny by making baseless allegations.
He noted that recent oversight visits by the House Committee on University Education had uncovered troubling governance practices in certain institutions, adding that preliminary findings pointed to serious malfeasance requiring thorough investigation.
While commending university administrators who have complied with due process, the House said the actions of a few attempting to evade accountability would not go unnoticed.
The statement also took a swipe at the news platform that published the bribery allegations, accusing it of failing to uphold journalistic ethics.
“The news platform has failed to uphold the principles of balanced journalism. The report in question lacks any diligent investigative effort as they would want people to believe, and instead amplifies fabricated narratives by individuals seeking to evade accountability.
“Unfortunately, the medium, which has become the preferred outlet for such baseless sensationalism, did not seek a reaction from the House Spokesman before publishing the story, undermining its credibility and professionalism. A reaction was only requested on Monday, two days after the story had already gone public,” the statement read.
The House urged anyone with credible evidence of misconduct to present it to the appropriate authorities, including the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges or anti-corruption agencies like the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
Reiterating its commitment to transparency and good governance, the House said it would not be distracted by baseless allegations.
“We call on all stakeholders, particularly the media, to approach their responsibilities with integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to nation-building. Together, we can strengthen our democracy and promote a more accountable and transparent governance system,” it added.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, was in Oyo State on yesterday, to commiserate with the State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, over the demise of his Elder Brother, Engr Sunday Makinde.
Governor Fubara was on the trip with the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum.
Speaking at the visit, Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, said they were in Oyo to condole with him and his family over the loss of Engr Sunday Makinde.
Senator Mohammed, who described the demise of Engr Makinde as a huge devastation to the family, however, urged the Oyo Governor to take consolation in the fact that all mortals will one day return to God, noting that his Elder Brother while on earth, contributed his quota to the growth and development of the country and left indelible footprints in the sands of time.
He said, “Your Excellency, we are here on behalf of the PDP Governors’ Forum to commiserate with you, to condole you over the loss of your elder Brother, Engr Sunday Makinde. We saw the news in the media, and we spoke on the phone, but in our tradition in Africa, we have to come to show you solidarity.
“We know the devastation is huge. We know you to be a strong character, strong person, you will bear all these losses. As a man of God, you know we are all here temporarily. We will all go back to our Creator. That is why we are consoled that your brother gave us a good name and for the country before he retired meritoriously. So, you should be consoled that this man came and conquered and contributed positively to the growth and development of Nigeria.”
The Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, admonished Governor Makinde to see the demise as one of life’s irreparable losses, and bear it with courage, just as he assured him of the PDP Governors’ support, and prayed God to grant the soul of the deceased eternal rest in His bosom.
He added, “So, on behalf of my colleagues, especially my brother who had had to come from Rivers to Bauchi to pick me, that shows how important you are. We have come to commiserate with you and the family, and say please, take this as one of those irreparable losses, and exercise patience and have the courage to bear it.
“Please, don’t be left with any doubt that we are with you. May God give our brother a repose in the bossom in the Lord. May you as a family and siblings have mercy from God so that they can even do better than what you have done, including us,” he noted.
Responding, Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, noted how painful the death of his elder brother, Engr Sunday Makinde, was to the family at the age of 65 after retirement, as he was expected to settle down and enjoy life.
He described the demise as sudden, as according to him, his brother fell from the bathroom, but could not be revived by doctors, saying they cannot question God, but have taken to heart that He is the giver and receiver of life.
He added, “We thought our elder brother is just about to start life because he was just 65. We thought after going all over the world and settling down, this is the time for him to take some rest. But we cannot question God. We have to accept that God giveth and taketh without asking from anybody any form of validation.
“It is also painful for us because it was quite sudden. He fell in the bathroom and was rushed to the hospital, but they couldn’t revive him.”
Governor Makinde thanked the PDP Governors for the visit, which he noted, meant a lot to his family, and prayed God to grant the family members long life on earth before answering the clarion call of God.
He said, “But this visit means a lot to us. So, I want to also on behalf of the people and Government of Oyo State, thank you for the visit. Our prayer is that we don’t want to use this kind of visit as a payback. I pray that in our various families, people will grow old before God calls them back.”
The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the North has not yet decided its stance on the 2027 general elections, should the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) present a Muslim-Muslim ticket again.
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Christian leaders across the country rejected the all-Muslim presidential ticket of the APC, arguing that the move would further polarise Nigeria along religious lines.
However, on Saturday, January 25, 2025, the Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. Yakubu Pam, commended President Bola Tinubu for ‘demonstrating inclusive governance.’
Rev. Pam, who opposed President Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2023, said inclusivity, for which he praised president, is the most essential aspect of government.
“For me, the most important thing is a government that is inclusive, and as far as they have done Muslim-Muslim ticket, we have also seen reasonable inclusiveness,” he said.
However, while speaking on a live television programme yesterday morning, the Northern Christian leader said Christians in the North would like to take the Vice President position in 2027.
When asked if he would support an all-Muslim ticket should the President decide to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate, Rev. Pam sidestepped the question, saying the association was not yet focused on the 2027 general elections.
“Let me say it very clear to you that we, as Northern Christians, will advocate for the position of Vice President if the President is a Muslim from the South. We will never stop that; that is very clear. We also know that our members are in different parties; Northern CAN is not APC, not PDP, not LP; Northern CAN members are all over the parties in this country, and therefore, we are just talking about one party, and I think our main focus is the administration that is ongoing and that is why we voiced (out) the level of inclusiveness.”
Pressed to disclose his position if the President? ?whom he recently praised for inclusiveness? decides to run with Vice President Shettima in 2027, Rev. Pam said CAN would come up with its position when the time comes.
“If he says no, CAN would have a position. Apart from northern CAN, national CAN would have a position. We will have a position that would be announced by 2027; we have not yet reached 2027,” he said.