TheNewsGuru

Tag: Hate Speeches

  • 2019: NBC reads riot act to broadcasting stations over political campaigns, hate speeches

    2019: NBC reads riot act to broadcasting stations over political campaigns, hate speeches

    The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on Thursday read the out riot act to broadcast stations on political campaigns and hate speeches.

    Its Director-General, Mallam Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, said liable stations will soon face the law.

    He noted that it was wrong and against the ethics of the profession to broadcast campaign messages or programmes when the lid was yet to be lifted.

    Kawu, who spoke while briefing reporters on the update of Digital Switch Over (DSO), said the NBC will soon begin to phase out Analogue Switch Off (ASO) in Plateau State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), by the end of the First Quarter of 2018.

    The NBC boss warned that media stations must do everything professional to promote the country’s democracy.

    Kawu said: “Permit me my dear colleagues, to also take your time to remind our broadcasters that as we approach the electioneering period, stations must do everything professional to promote democracy. Broadcasters are reminded that they have a duty to respect all extant laws related to the reportage and coverage of the electoral process. Don’t broadcast campaigns when the period for commencement of campaigns have not commenced.”

    On inciting messages, the NBC boss warned against deliberate airing of contents, which are capable of inciting the people against each other.

    “We are disturbed by the pattern of insensitive and inflammatory broadcasts emanating from some broadcast stations, especially in their coverage of national crises, like the herdsmen/farmer crises.

    “We have observed that some stations deliberately and repeatedly air very inciting contents long after the events break. We have warned stations that they must follow the tenets of the Broadcasting Code.

    “Having warned broadcasters, we shall follow up with appropriate sanctions should any station continue to violate the Broadcasting Code.”

    Already, he said the commission is planning a national conference on “politics and hate speech, during which we hope to present the study we commissioned on hate speech”.

    Kawu also revealed that the commission has submitted a long list of new radio and television stations to President Muhammad’s Buhari for presidential assent.

    “The President has always been encouraging the NBC to open up accesses for Nigerians to be able to register newer radio and television stations, because of his belief that they help to deepen democratic discourse and also help to create new jobs through the broadcasting value chain,” he said.

    NBC, he added, has informed the pay DTT operators, GOTV and NTA/STAR TIMES to begin discussions with the two signal distributors – ITS and Pinnacle Communications.

    “This is because, in line with the Government White Paper on the Transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting, after June 2019, these pay DTT operators would no longer be licensed to operate as both content providers and signal distributors,” he explained.

    On DSO, Kawu said by the end of the third quarter of 2018, 12 states would have been hooked up to the digital viewing.

    He noted that so far, the digital switchover has been launched in three states, Plateau, Kaduna, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory.

    The commission, he said, is “committed to roll out in many more states this year” with Enugu and Osun on the line to join the list of states in couple of weeks.

    He said: “We have already scheduled Monday, February 12, 2018 for the switch on for Enugu state. Similarly, February 23rd has been affirmed for the switch on in Osun State.”

    The full rollout, he said, is subject to achieving about 95 per cent coverage.

     

  • Herdsmen/farmers’ clashes: Nigerian media insensitive, promoting hate speeches – Presidency

    The Presidency on Friday expressed dissatisfaction towards the reportage of the recent clashes between farmers and Fulani herdsmen in Benue State.

    It also condemned the media for allegedly promoting hate speeches through it publication.

    The condemnation was made Friday by the spokesperson of President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, while briefing State House correspondents.

    Mr. Shehu said the “growing lack of respect for journalism ethics and press laws in the Nigerian media, especially regarding the clashes in Benue State is very unfortunate”.

    He said the frequent expressions of hate speech published by newspapers, in news stories and especially in columns have become a source of concern to all Nigerians.

    “We want to state emphatically that a segment of the Nigerian media is sinking deeper and deeper into the mesh of hate speech in spite of repeated appeals by recognised and reputable media bodies, the Government and concerned Nigerians,” he said.

    “Unfortunately, self-regulation which is the norm in civilised societies has taken flight from many of our newsrooms.

    “For instance, a recent column published in a national newspaper (The Sun newspaper), said ‘‘President Muhammadu Buhari was the first to endorse the Benue massacre’’ on New Year Day. The same columnist described the Minister of Defence, Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali as ‘‘a dyed-in-the-wool Fulani irredentist who places trade over and above human life’’.

    “The diatribe went further to invite citizens of the country to arm themselves and fight each other. In addition, one of the newspaper’s Saturday headlines proclaimed: ‘Expect More Blood in Benue…’,” he said.

    The presidential spokesperson also said apart from the basic tone of respect expected from an individual who is “supposedly intelligent and educated enough” to know better since they have been granted space to write in a national newspaper, there is the risk of inciting the public to actions that will have gory consequences for the entire nation for generations to come.”

    He also reminded those “beating the gongs of war and fanning the embers of discord” to remember what prevailed in Rwanda before the genocide of the early 90s, during which hundreds of thousands of lives were lost as a result of consistent hate speech spewing from that country’s media.

    “We must learn to express our grievances and criticisms without resorting to gutter language or to name calling, and the press has a responsibility to maintain that even if it means calling their columnists to order,” he said.

    He also said Mr. Buhari, by the Constitution, has the primary duty of protecting life and property of all Nigerians, adding “and that is what he has been doing in Benue and across the country.”

    “Calling him a murderer is not only grossly disrespectful but unfair, especially when the President has written a letter to the Senate detailing his efforts to quell the crisis in Benue State, including dispatching the Minister of Interior and the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of operations for an on the spot assessment of the situation in the aftermath of the unfortunate incident; and receiving a direct briefing from the IG the following day”.

    Mr. Shehu appealed to the media to show more decorum and professionalism in the reportage of security and humanitarian situation in the country.

  • We should avoid hate speeches, vices that trigger senseless bloodshed – IBB begs Nigerians

    Former military president, Gen Ibrahim Badamasi Babaginda has urged Nigerians to eschew hate speeches, discrimination and other vices that trigger senseless violence and bloodshed.

    In a statement marking the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day the former leader said Nigerians have witness so much bloodshed through communal clashes and conflicts and called for urgent actions to stop them.

    “As people we should inculcate our cultural values, that promote good conduct, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. We should eschew hate speeches, discrimination and other vices that trigger senseless violence and bloodshed”, he noted.

    He also urged political office holders as well as politicians from all political parties to be conscious of their campaign slogans and messages by ensuring that they are geared towards peaceful participation and constructive engagements of the electorates as the nation enters another electioneering campaign year.

    He called on governments at all level, religious leaders, traditional rulers, social activists and the media to serve as national vanguards in resolving some of the recent disturbing incidents affecting our national security.

    “At this period where our nation is faced with myriads of challenges of terrorism, communal clashes, kidnapping, cultism and gangsterism among other criminalities, we should cooperate and supports our security with relevant information and intelligence to help in tackling the problems,” he said.

    He also urged members of the armed forces and security agencies to remain apolitical, neutral and focus on the ethics of discipline which said, is the hallmark of their profession.

    He called appreciate the courage of gallant officers and men of the armed forces who laid their lives for the country by providing supports for the welfare and upkeep of the families they left behind, especially their widows and children.

    He condoled the families of members of the Armed Forces who lost their lives in their effort to keep Nigeria secured in various military operations.

  • Biafra: Purveyors of hate speeches have left Nigeria on a divided part – Atiku

    Biafra: Purveyors of hate speeches have left Nigeria on a divided part – Atiku

    Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has said the agitation for secession spearheaded by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and hate speeches have made present day Nigeria more divided than ever.

    The former Vice President made the observation at the 40th anniversary of the Federal Government College, Okigwe, Imo State, over the weekend.

    Recall that TheNewsGuru.com had earlier launched Movement Against War in Nigeria, a campaign to raise a million voices against bloodshed in the country.

    Join those Nigerians to shut the door on any form of violence, talk less of war. Sign the No More War Charter HERE and share with others

    Represented by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Abubakar stated that all tribes of the country needed one another to achieve their desired goals.

    Abubakar emphasised the need for unity among the various groups in the country.

    He said, “This celebration is coming at a critical time in our country’s history.

    “All of you must be aware of the recent agitations from different parts of the country, with some groups threatening violence and, in some cases, secession. These agitations are the result of a number of factors which I will not bother going into at this time, although since you are all enlightened men and women, I have no doubt that you are well and fully aware of what they are.

    “As a result of these various forces, the Nigeria of today appears more divided than it has ever been before. Our country is not at war in the sense of guns and bombs, but the level of inter-ethnic discontent, hatred, and hate speech is at an all-time high.

    ”Recently, Nigeria has been embroiled in secession calls particularly from the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in the South-eastern part of the country.”

    The secessionist movement which calls for an independent state of Biafra, a republic that existed for about three years during the Nigerian civil war, was in September designated a terrorist group by the Nigerian government.

    “To quell the tension which has arisen from IPOB agitation and that of other groups, many Nigerians have called for restructuring of the political system.

    “You know from personal experience that the Hausa man’s problem is not the Igbo man, that the Igbo man’s problem is not the Yoruba man, that the Yoruba man’s problem is not the Hausa man, etc.

    “You know the beauty of unity, of living together as brother and sister, in the same dormitory, in the same classroom, of belonging to the same house and working towards the same goal, whether it be winning a medal during inter-house sports competitions or a prize during a quiz competition. You know that, at those critical times when everyone’s eye is on the goal, the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba need one another, must depend on one another to achieve”, he said.

    He traced the establishment of the school and other federal government colleges to a conscious move by the then military administration to promote unity after the civil war.

     

  • Social media promoting hate speeches, insecurity – Lalong

    Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau said on Monday in Jos that the social media was promoting hate speeches and instigating insecurity in the country.

    Lalong, while declaring open a one-day town hall meeting organised by Plateau Peace Building Agency to mark the 2017 World Peace Day, stated that the social media was filled with hate utterances that incite and set the stages for mayhem and rancour.

    Represented by Mr Rufus Bature, Secretary to the Government of Plateau, Lalong alleged that rumours steadily spewed into the social media had often led to bad blood and cause massive confusion.

    He blamed the tension and confusion that enveloped Jos, last week, to such tales in the social media, and wondered why the unrest in the South-East could trigger pandemonium in Plateau “of all places”.

    The governor emphasised the need for stakeholders to work together to reverse the wild trends in the social media, adding that his administration had initiated series of dialogue sessions to foster peaceful coexistence.

    “Last week, I initiated dialogue sessions with communities and groups to prevent escalation of the violence. I also directed the Director-General, Plateau Peace Building, to convene similar meetings with other groups.

    “I understand that two of such meetings have been held with civil society organizations and with social activists; I look forward to receiving the recommendations,” he said.

    Lalong appreciated efforts of security operatives in bringing the skirmishes under control.

    Mr Joseph Lengmang, the Director-General, Plateau Peace Building Agency, in his remark, stressed the need for proactive steps to sustain peace in the state.

     

  • We don’t have power to arrest Nigerians over hate speeches – military

    The Defence Headquarters has denied reports that the military is monitoring and hate speech promoters in order to arrest them.

    Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. John Enenche said this on while speaking on Sunrise Daily on Channels TV.

    He said the only reason the military would monitor social media is to obtain information that would help its operations.

    He said, “There was nothing like that. We do not have power to arrest people for hate speeches. It is just false assertion, against the military, and against my humble self that I said that we will be arresting people or checkmating people.

    “The military is not going to be monitoring hate speeches. Did I tell you hate speech in your recordings? We have a strategic media centre, our strategic media centre monitors the media, simple. And it is like that all over the world. And we take that because it helps us to transform the nature of the intelligence to enable us to prepare for whatever call up we get to ensure security in this country.

    “Let me tell you and tell the public without fear of anybody; we are trained to do threat analysis of anything that would threaten the security of this country. So, it is part of our threat analysis. Any person can interpret it to mean that it is a follow up to the speech of the Vice-President (Yemi Osinbajo), the then Acting President and then the minister of interior; then that person can be right. Where do we take instruction from, where do we get information from? But on the whole, it is part of what is called threat analysis.”

    Asked whether the military had information on where the leader of the Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau and the remaining Chibok girls are, he said, “No (intelligence about the location of the remaining Chibok girls.) Well, if you are talking about a Shekau which we have always referred to because there have been so many Shekaus, and I believe that there will be more Shekaus. Shekau is a synonym as far as I am concerned, and Shekau has become a big name like we use to have Bruce Lee, James Bond in those days.

    “So to talk about a definite intelligence or location of a Shekau, I don’t think is necessary. But what we are bound to do and committed to do is that anywhere there is any Shekau, we will always knock him off.

    “You will agree with me that within this period that was given, well, you may not have got that information, but there was something about somebody somewhere around a location in Sambisa somewhere and the Air Force went and neutralised the whole place. And after the battle impact assessment, the whole place was finished.

    “So, if there was a Shekau according to that information we got that went into hiding in that place, then that one must have been neutralised. And I won’t be surprised to hear that another Shekau is somewhere.

    “I don’t expect you to put words into my mouth that I will tell you categorically a Shekau or the Shekau that you know very well has been neutralised. All I have told you is that there have been several Shekaus, there have been several instances, over five times and we will continue to knock out any Shekau that comes on stream. That is what I still stand on that.”

  • You must apologise to Nigerians for hate speeches made in the past, Fayose tells Buhari, APC

    Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has the President Muhammadu Buhari led All Progressives Congress, APC, administration must apologise to Nigerians for issuing several hate speeches in the past before categorizing it as an act of terrorism.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo had on Thursday said the the Federal Government had drawn a line on hate speech and would treat it as an act of terrorism.

    Fayose revealed this in a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Friday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka.

     

    The statement read: “I wish to express concern over the pronouncement of the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo that hate speech will henceforth be treated as terrorism.

    “While I am totally against hate speech and will support any effort to curb it, it is important to caution the federal government on the danger inherent in the blanket categorisation of hate speech as treasonable.

    “I make bold to say that saying the truth concerning the country and its rulers cannot be termed as hate speech.

    “I only hope Nigeria is not being systematically returned to the colonial days when the law of sedition was used to jail many of those who fought for our independence or the era of Buhari’s military regime when the notorious Public Officers (Protection against False accusation) Decree 4 of 1984 was used to jail Tunde Thompson and NdukaIrabor, both of The Guardian newspapers for publishing what the government termed as false.

    “Most importantly, going by the APC government’s use of the so-called anti-corruption fight to harass, intimidate, arrest and detain opposition figures, there is no doubt that categorising whatever that is termed as hate speech as act of terrorism is unconstitutional and an attempt to gag Nigerians, especially the press.

    “It should therefore not be seen that since the use of corruption to harass, arrest and detain opposition figures is no longer fashionable, hate speech will now be another instrument of oppression to be used against the opposition.

    “The questions that must be answered by the federal government are; what constitutes hate speech and who determines it? Has the Presidency becomes law unto itself such that it is now the one to determine what is an offense and what punishment to be applied?

    “From all intent and purposes, the Acting President pronouncement which is obviously not backed by any legislation is an attempt to provide reasons for an impending clampdown on opposition and Nigerians will resist any attempt to mortgage their fundamental rights to freedom of expression under the guise of hate speeches.

    “When the APC was looking for power, several provocative statements were made. Nigerians are yet to forget President Buhari’s “the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood” hate speeches and the threat by the APC to form a parallel government.

    “What can be more treasonable than these statements made by President Buhari and his party?

    “It is also on record that during the 2011 election campaign, President Buhari’s inciting statement led to widespread violence by his supporters in the North after he lost. Over 1000 people were slaughtered in cold blood, including innocent National Youth Service Corp members.

    “Therefore, even if the APC government is sincere with its new found hatred for hate speeches, the APC government must first apologise to Nigerians for being the number one promoter and beneficiary of hate speech.

    “Also, rather than this blanket criminalising of hate speeches, the federal government should embark on reorientation of Nigerians, especially the youths on the consequences of hate speeches to the unity of the country while the confidence of the people in the ‎government (at all levels) must be restored.”

  • Sponsors of hate speeches, fake news determined to bring down Buhari’s govt – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that some people are bent on dragging the President Muhammadu Buhari administration through the mire by sponsoring hate speeches and fake news both on the emerging and traditional media.

    Mohammed noted that the sponsors of these hate speeches hope to discredit the government, destabilize the polity and make the country ungovernable.

    The minister made the statement at the Extraordinary Meeting of the National Council on Information (NCI), which was themed “Hate Speeches, Disinformation, Fake News and National Unity’’, in Jos, Plateau State, on Thursday.

    ‘’The campaign (to discredit the government) is a multi-million naira project and the people behind this string of hate speech, disinformation, and fake news is not about to stop. In fact, they will become more vicious in the days, weeks and months ahead,’’ he said.

    Alhaji Mohammed blamed the resurgent push for separatism as well as the rising cases of ethnic and religious disharmony on the ‘’growing phenomenon of hate speech, as well as the disinformation and fake news campaign’’, and warned that hate speeches and incitement to violence set the stage for the genocide that left at least 800,000 people dead in Rwanda in 1994.

    He traced the worsening cases of hate speech in the country to the period leading to the last general elections, when the then presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, was the target of a vicious campaign.

    ‘’Never in the history of electioneering in Nigeria has such a quantum of hate speech being directed at any candidate. This did not stop even when he won the election and became President. For instance, the President had hardly left Nigeria for his vacation in London on 19 January 2017, during which he said he would have a routine medical check-up when these hate and fake news campaigners circulated the news that he had died. Between then and now, they have repeated similar fakes news times without number,’’ the minister said.

    He cited three instances of disinformation and fake news targeted at him, including when he was quoted as saying the government does not know who will sign the 2017 budget when what he said was that when the budget is transmitted to the presidency, a decision will be taken.

  • We’ll punish those behind hate speeches, violence – Osinbajo

    …tasks governors on safety of lives and properties

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday said state governors must safeguard the lives and properties of all citizens residing within the borders of their respective states.

    Osinbajo, who gave the directive at a consultative meeting with the governors at the Presidential Banquet, Abuja, said the directive had become imperative in view of the fact that “Nigeria is indissoluble’’.

    He warned that leaders must not allow “the careless use of words and careless expressions” that might degenerate into crisis.

    He said: “”We are a people that like to talk and we express ourselves loudly but it is expected for us to recognise that it is those same words that can cause conflagration that can unfortunately lead to calamity.

    “”We must be careful of how we express ourselves.

    “What we have seen in recent times is that some of the languages used have tended to degenerate badly and I think that we must begin to speak up against some of these things and ensure that we protect our democracy and our nation from the hands of rhetorics that may just divide us.”

    The acting president revealed that from his previous consultative meetings with leaders of thought from the North and South East states of the federation the meetings had agreed that Nigeria’s unity should not be taken for granted.

    According to him, no one wants to see Nigeria goes done the path of bloodshed or war, saying all the leaders including traditional leaders agreed on the permanency of the Nigeria’s constitution, is the basis for the nation’s unity.

    “”It is the basis for the legal contract that exists between all of us.

    “”Our meetings were frank and open as I hope this will be. We were able to agree on most of the critical issues that were discussed and in most cases changed perceptions that may have been long embedded in their minds.

    “”We also agreed that under no circumstances should we condone hateful speeches and that government should take all steps necessary to bring to book all those who preach violence, in particular the kind of expressions of dissent that can cause violence.’’

    He said the leaders also agreed on the need to do more to engage the youth productively by ways of creating more jobs and economic opportunities.

    He stated that they all agreed on the need for leaders to speak out forcefully to counter divisive speech or any kind of woe mongering.

    “”We agreed that leaders at all levels speak out forcefully against any kind of divisiveness or divisive speech.

    “”And we expect that our political leaders will do so without waiting to be prompted.

    ““All of those who spoke felt that sometimes when leaders do not speak up promptly it always results in degeneration no matter what the problem may be.

    “”This applied to both the statement made by the young people in the South East as well as the youth in the Northern states.

    “”We discovered there was a need for much greater resonance in the way that these things are done and for the leaders to speak up more forcefully.

    ““We believe that if the leaders do not speak up forcefully enough if for any reason matters are allowed to degenerate, not only does leadership lose their legitimacy, they run the risk of things going completely out control,’’ he added.

    He commended the leaders from the North and South for their openness at the consultations, stating “that they were extremely responsible even in their criticisms of what they felt were issues that should have been better handled.

    “”I think that their criticisms were fair and balanced. I must commend them for their sense of responsibility and their leadership.’’

    Osinbajo challenged the governors to find lasting solutions to the herdsmen and farmers crisis, especially the way that some of these have resulted in flashpoint across the country.

    According to him, the problems are multidimensional but the states have a very important role to play especially because they are in control of land in their territories.

    He also stressed the need for the governors to show greater unity of purpose and the determination to work together to resolve various challenges facing Nigeria as a geo-political entity.

    The acting president said they must resist the temptation to play politics especially with matters of security, but to reach for simplistic narratives that might be originally expedient and satisfying.

    “”Sometimes intentions are perceived on the account of the fact that they have wrong perception about a particular thing.

    ““I think it is in our place to ensure that we dig down the fact and ensure that people are given the fact and ensure that we don’t colour them with politics.’’

    Twenty-three governors, four deputy governors, Service Chiefs, Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris, National Security Adviser, Babagana Mungonu and some cabinet ministers attended the meeting.

    Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, Gov. Abiola Ajumobi of Oyo state said the meeting agreed to keep Nigeria united.

    He said the governors also pledged to address problems causing unnecessary of agitations by Nigerians.

    ““It has been unanimously agreed that the unity of this country is sacrosanct, is non-negotiable and we have all agreed to work together to educate people.

    ““Anytime you have agitation, usually there will be poverty, there will be unemployment, there will be hardship, so we should address fundamentally these areas of poverty, unemployment and hardship.

    “”Nigerians are by nature a united people, nobody cares whether you are from the north, south or the east.

    ““Unity must be there and we cannot play with the unity of this country. The consensus has been that there must be unity.

    “”The message is for Nigerians to work more together and collaborate. We have more to gain when we are united. We cannot afford to break, and anybody who is thinking of that (he) is wasting his time and we will not allow it, not in this country. All of us are unanimous about that.”