Many Nigerians were last week treated to a throwback to the brutal days of military dictatorship at the Aso Rock Villa, after the State House reporter of the PUNCH newspaper, Olalekan Adetayo, was summarily given the marching orders by an overzealous security official for writing stories that he considered to be uncomplimentary to his principal. It was an appalling development that raised questions about the democratic credentials of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, even though efforts were made by his media aides to distance the President from the embarrassment.
But why did the CSO show a dismaying aggression against our reporter for filing stories that were clearly of public importance? Apparently inebriated with power and acting without due consultation with those who should know and advise him better, Bashir Abubakar, the Chief Security Officer to the President, put Adetayo through an ordeal of interrogation and thorough humiliation, before ordering the withdrawal of his accreditation. Abubakar, thereafter, paraded Adetayo before a coterie of security operatives, warning that the reporter should never be allowed back into the premises, before marching him through the gates – just like a common criminal.
Yet, trying desperately to justify his naked and reckless abuse of power, Abubakar reached a farcical conclusion that Adetayo’s stories were sponsored and without factual basis. He superciliously described the reporter as unpatriotic, mischievous and irresponsible and therefore sought to educate him on how to practise responsible journalism. Still rattling off his allegations with the ease of a comic, Abubakar further wrote in a memo that Adetayo admitted wrongdoing in writing the stories, and pleaded for leniency, only to turn around in the same memo to complain about “his (the reporter’s) belligerence and non-repentance.” This smacks of an attempt to hurriedly paper over an ugly situation after realising how much he had blundered.
This is unbecoming of operatives of a government in a democratic setting. Abubakar could have served his boss better under Decree No. 4 of 1984, promulgated by Buhari as the then military Head of State, when journalists were thrown into jail without trial for reports considered very embarrassing to the government. If Abubakar’s intention is to muzzle the media and turn the watchdog into a government propaganda mouthpiece, then he has failed. As we continue to speak truth to power, nothing and no one can deter us from holding the authorities accountable for their actions or inactions, whether public sector institutions, non-profit organisations or private companies.
Unfortunately, concerning the two stories for which Adetayo was castigated – “Fresh anxiety in Aso Rock over Buhari’s poor health,” and “Seat of power’s event centres going into extinction” − Abubakar failed to state specifically the non-factual elements in the stories other than that the writer was unpatriotic. Perhaps it is necessary to state for the CSO’s information and understanding that the rights to freedom of expression and press freedom are expressly enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and cannot be wished away by anybody.
The rights of the citizens are always in serious jeopardy when the media and public officials get too cozy. As a crucial and fundamental pillar of a democratic society, Nigeria is blessed with a tradition of vibrant and critical press. If only Abubakar had known the antecedents of the PUNCH as a newspaper, he would have thought twice before alleging the sponsorship of stories. The guarantee of freedom of expression and information is recognised as a basic human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948. In particular, Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
This is what this newspaper stands for: “To promote and defend the values of democracy and free speech, and to foster the principle of equal opportunities for all.” We are persuaded by the statement of Peter Kann, one time publisher of The Wall Street Journal, that the central idea of journalism is “that facts are facts; that they are ascertainable through honest, open-minded and diligent reporting; that truth is attainable by laying fact upon fact, much like the construction of a cathedral; and that truth is not merely in the eye of the beholder.” Abubakar is incompetent to pronounce on the professionalism of a reporter. It is he who needs urgent re-training on the role of a security aide in a democracy.
Actions such as Abubakar’s do nothing but give Nigeria a bad name internationally. For instance, in the Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders on Wednesday, Nigeria’s ranking dropped from 116 last year to 122. “In Nigeria, it is nearly impossible to cover stories involving politics, terrorism or financial embezzlement. Journalists are often threatened, subjected to physical violence, or denied access to information by government officials, police and sometimes the public itself,” said the RWB’s uncomplimentary report about Nigeria.
In other parts of the world, where the importance of the press is appreciated, the profession is treated with utmost respect. That is why Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, once said, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” Jefferson did not stop there, he also said, “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”
Ultimately, Buhari bears the responsibility for his CSO’s rabid deeds. This is a matter for his attention. Without stronger protection for accredited journalists to the Villa and their sources, this could happen again. It is therefore necessary for Buhari to reexamine critically Abubakar’s suitability for the functions he is saddled with, otherwise which he would continue to produce more faux pas, cry wolf where there is none and create unnecessary embarrassment for the government. The President has to act fast to prevent the country from falling into the hands of some megalomaniacs
