Nigerian Paper Says “Clampdown” on Two Media Houses “Excessive”

Text of report by private Nigerian newspaper The Guardian website on 18 September

[Unattributed article: "The SSS Invasion of Channels TV and NAN"]

The dimension which the security clampdown on Channels Television and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has taken in the last 24 hours is alarming and dangerous. It is unfortunate enough that sensitive news which turned out to be untrue, was inadvertently published about the nation’s president. But to revoke the licence of a broadcasting station, intimidate the leadership of NAN and incarcerate officials of the two media houses is a sad throw-back to the era of military tyranny, and the authoritarianism of the Obasanjo years.

The clampdown raises a number of issues. Reports indicate that offices of Channels Television in Lagos and Abuja were shut down in the evening of Tuesday, September 16, 2008, following reports that the station had broadcast news to the effect that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua may resign.

The presidency, through the Special Adviser to the President on Communications, Mr Segun Adeniyi, immediately refuted the report, stressing that it was absolutely untrue that the President was ever contemplating resigning his office. Channels TV was said to have attributed the information, ran on its bottom news sticker, to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). But the agency has also vehemently denied being the source, saying the report must have been the handiwork of some mischief-makers.

The entire incident is unfortunate, firstly because it could have been avoided by both the Presidency and the allegedly offending news media. Apart from Channels TV, the Agence France Presse (AFP), a French news agency, BBC World Service, and BBC Hausa Service were also said to have broadcast the same story, again quoting NAN as the original source.

The offending story was sent via e-mail from an address newsagencynig@yahoo.com[1] in Abidjan and circulated on the internet under the NAN format. The News Agency of Nigeria has since disowned that address, and the story that purportedly enunciated from it. This incident clearly indicates the delicate nature of the internet and the dangers inherent in its uncontrolled operation. The internet is a valuable tool for research and information, but it is also so much of an open gateway where mischief-makers can ply their malicious wares to the detriment of otherwise innocent parties.

The NAN Managing Director, Mrs Remi Oyo had declared: “The address is not that of NAN. The poor grammar as indicated in the wrong spelling of cabinet could not have been that of NAN.” And as soon as Channels TV realised its mistake, it retracted the story, all through the afternoon and evening, with an apology. This show of contrition was enough to demonstrate that there was no malice on the part of the broadcast station.

Without a doubt, there is evidence of a certain carelessness on the part of the news production team, not just at Channels TV, but also AFP, and the BBC. Journalists by the nature of their work, gather and disseminate news in a hurry. But professional ethics require them to check their stories, and publish only the truth. In the instant case, the matter of President Yar’Adua’s alleged plan to resign from office, shortly after a nationwide anxiety over his health, was surely a sensitive subject, with unmistakable implications for national security.

For this reason alone, the editors handling the story should have exercised a greater duty of care. Channels TV is an award-winning television station, it enjoys the reputation of being a reliable news channel. Its editors could have asked a simple question: Why would the President resign after constituting a new cabinet? That the editors at Channels TV immediately retracted the story was nonetheless, a fair and prompt demonstration of good faith. This, with the clarification by the Presidency, should have laid the matter to rest.

But the State Security Service chose to overreact, descending on both the News Agency of Nigeria and Channels TV, with tactics that are absolutely lawless and excessive. Not only were the staff of the two media houses arrested and detained, at Channels TV, computer equipment and tapes were reportedly carted away. Gun-totting SSS officials laid siege on the premises, threatening mayhem. This crude show of power has since been followed up by the arrogant muscle- flexing by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), which without any investigations into the circumstances, or the grant of fair hearing to Channels TV proceeded to invoke Section 13 of the National Broadcasting Commission Code, and suspend the licence of the television station.

Too many government officials appear tempted to use this moment to play to the gallery. But their reaction is excessive and high- handed. The Federal Government’s resort to self-help is pathetic: for a Government that prides itself as an apostle of the rule of law, this is a tragic climb-down. We sincerely hope that this is not a signal that this administration now intends to toe the path of brazen authoritarianism.

There are more civilised ways of dealing with infractions of the law, suppose this is what has happened in this case. Officials of both NAN and Channels TV could have been taken to court, and the matter could have been handled within the province of the law and the civility of legal processes. The Yar’Adua government must resist the temptation to resort to draconian tactics. This can only prove to be counter -productive.

The truth of it all is that by playing politics and games with the President’s state of health, the Federal Government itself practically encouraged all kinds of speculations about the President’s future. Government must promote the cause of truth, by ensuring transparency in its relationship with the public and other activities. This is one lesson that it must learn from this episode.

Investigations are said to be on-going into the circumstances of the publication of the news on President Yar’Adua’s alleged plan to leave office. We have no problem with this. But in the meantime, the officials of NAN and Channels TV who are still in SSS detention should be released immediately. If they have committed any offence, this cannot be addressed with the government taking the law into its hands. The suspension of the licence of Channels TV has arisen from an over-enthusiastic show of power. It should be reversed, and the television station should be allowed to resume operations.

Originally published by The Guardian website, Lagos, in English 18 Sep 08.

(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Africa. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.