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By Emman Ovuakporie
Nigerians woke up on Monday morning to see front page of key newspapers wearing a gagged face with a roaring headline-Information black out.
TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) in this report peeps into how this front page protest by the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, the Guild of Editors, NGE and Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN took this shape.
Their anger stemmed from the fact that gradually Nigeria was steadily going back to the dark days of the early 1980s when Decree 4 was used as an oppressive legal instrument to gag the press.
Two prominent Journalists, still very much alive, Hon Nduka Irabor and Tunde Thompson were sent to jail for violating Decree 4 promulgated by the then military junta of Major General Muhammdu Buhari.
Truly, the situation was snowballing to that stage courtesy of the mantra of the current Senate President, Ahmad Lawan who had countlessly announced that nothing can be wrong with whatever Mr President sends to the parliament.
The introduction of the Social Media Bill and the Amendment of the Nigerian Press Council Act were clear indicators that all can never be well with the Nigerian journalists.
In the last six years the Nigerian journalist has been haunded, detained by security operatives treated like a piece of rat shit while carrying out his duties.
In the National Assembly they are seen like dogs that must be chased out during sensitive public hearings sponsored with tax payers money.
The committee on Public Petitions designed to give justice to the common man can’t be covered by journalists because the chairman hates journalists and placed a permanent ban on press coverage.
It has gotten to this ugly level and with these Bills in the National Assembly, there’s no Ray of hope for the Nigerian journalist to survive as Mr President can never make a mistake but definitely his assent will be given on any bill that can gag the press.
Little wonder the custodians of the press came out with the roaring headlines on Monday that total information Blackout was looming.
The upper legislature this week will commence on its annual recess as it’s practised world wide and so many Bills have been lumped together before their vacation.
If both Bills designed to gag the press are among, then it’s good bye to Press freedom in Nigeria because the national Assembly will be asleep for eight weeks.
On resumption, the chamber will always remain empty as lawmakers are already plotting on how to return in 2023.
But going by what the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila promised on Monday there may be a little hope as he has vowed to kill any bill laced with poison to kill the Nigerian journalist.
If one may ask, does he have such powers to single handedly kill a bill without the support of his colleagues.
Again, could this be a political promise because going by Senate President’s mantra Mr President can never be wrong.
If Mr President wants a Bill passed can only the speaker stop it. Yes he can if he wants it stopped. If a Bill is not listed in the legislative business of the day, it can’t fly.