NIGERIA MEDIA MONITOR

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#03 - 10 Monday, March 9, 1998.


*JOURNALIST KILLED, ANOTHER PASSES ON
* RADIO MANAGER SACKED
* JOURNALIST REGAINS FREEDOM
* NBC STARTS LICENCE RENEWAL PROCESS
* DETAINEES: GOVT. GETS 21 DAYS TO FREE DETAINED JOURNALISTS
* GOVT. OFFICIAL PLEDGES ON RELEASE OF DETAINED JOURNALISTS
* NEW ADVERT RULE ON CIGARETTE PACKS BEGINS

NEWSREEL.
JOURNALIST KILLED BY GUNMEN
A senior correspondent with The Guardian Newspaper(of Lagos) ,Tunde
Oladepo was shot dead by masked gunmen in Abeokuta, Ogun State on
February 26.

Oladepo, who was until recently, Head of Bureau of the Ogun State
office of The Guardian was visiting his family when he was attacked.

Sources said five gunmen sneaked into Oladipo's bedroom through the
backdoor around 4.00 a.m and as soon as they entered and found that
he had been woken by their unusual noise, shot him in the thigh. They
left him bleeding until they left at 4.35am.

The gunmen did not touch his wife, children and brother who were with
him in the house. And his was the only house where operated in the
neighbourhood.
It was after the gunmen had left that neighbours rushed Oladepo to
the hospital. But doctors confirmed him dead on arrival.

Elsewhere, Segun Obilana, 53, former Labour Editor of The Punch
newspaper has passed on. He died on Saturday Feb 21, 1998 after a
brief illness.

Obilana was at one time the president of the Labour Writers
Association of Nigeria (LAWAN). He has been buried according to
Muslim rites.

 RADIO MANAGER SACKED
The Rivers state government has sacked the general manager of the
state owned radio corporation, Radio Rivers, Mr. Morgan Omodu.

Omodu was sacked on the orders of the state military administrator,
Col. Musa Shehu, because the radio station carried a newsreport that
the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) senatorial primaries has
been cancelled and one of the aspirants, one Dr Ombo Isokariari,
disqualified. The party leadership had earlier issued a statement
that the radio report was fake.
The interest of the state government in the affair is unclear.
Although Radio Rivers is funded and controlled by the Rivers state
government the primaries are supposed to be private affairs of the
political parties. 

JOURNALISTS' TRIP DISRUPTED
A foreign trip by two Nigerian  journalists was disrupted by security
operatives February 22
Lanre Ogundipe National President  and Lanre Arogundade, Lagos state
chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) were at the
Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos to travel to Dakar,
Senegal where they were billed to address a regional conference of
the West Africa Journalists Association (WAJA).

Security operatives at the airport seized their passports and other
documents they were carrying to the conference.

The passports were later released to them, but the other materials
which included their conference presentations were confiscated

Each of them was made to complete a special security form which
required 3 names of persons who could be held if the need arose.

The two journalists missed their flight and had to make fresh
arrangements. They arrived Dakar two days behind schedule.

JOURNALIST REGAINS FREEDOM.
Ben Adaji the Taraba state correspondent of The News/Tempo magazines
in Jalingo arrested and detained since December 31, 1997 by the
Taraba state police command has finally been released on bail by a
Jalingo Chief Magistrate court.  The journalist, charged with alleged
false publication by the Taraba state police commissioner got his
freedom when the magistrate Mr. A Gideon admitted him to bail in the
sum of N50,000 ($600) and a surety in like sum. The case was
adjourned to 18 March for mention. However, soon after the journalist
was admitted to bail, he was re-arrested right from the Court Hall by
policemen numbering over fifteen and whisked away to the state CID
Headquarters in Jalingo. Mr. Adaji was again detained for one day at
the CID cell where he was compelled to complete some documents before
he was released.

Ben Adaji's ordeal began on November 17, 1997 when he was arrested on
the order of the Taraba State police commissioner in connection with
a story on the communal clash in Taraba State. Ben was released on 22
November, 1997 but re-arrested on 31 December 1997, arraigned in a
magistrate court, before finally being released on bail.

NBC STARTS LICENCE RENEWAL PROCESS
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has started its public
hearing on the renewal of broadcasting licences for organisation
based in  Lagos State. During the exercise, members of the public are
expected to comment on the performances of each media organisation in
the past one year. According to the NBC, the comments, will form part
of the criteria for the renewal of licences of the affected
organisations.

The public hearing will delve into the quality of programming, signal
reception, attitude of the station actors while on air and the
general performance of each broadcasting organisation.

The Director General of NBC, Dr. Tom Adaba, said the decision to
allow the public have a say on the renewal of licences was hinged on
the fact that the public deserves a better deal from the station
operators once they (the public) continue to pay radio and television
set levies to government.

Government-owned stations like the Nigerian Television Authority
(NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria are not affected by
the exercise.


DETAINEES: COURT ADJOURNS SUIT AGAINST ABACHA, OTHERS
A Federal High Court in Lagos, has adjourned further hearing in the
suit seeking to compel the Head of State, General Sani Abacha, to
release 119 political detainees, in line with the Federal
Government's pronouncement last November 17.

Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Babatunde Belgore,
adjourned the matter after directing the parties in the suit, to file
their pleadings within a specified period.

Two Lagos lawyers, Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Mr. Femi Falana, had gone
to court, last December, over the failure of General Abacha to
release the detainees in line with his promise in a nationwide
broadcast on the fourth anniversary of his regime.

At the resumed hearing on  March 2, 1998, Tare Lakemija from Gani
Fawehinmi Chambers, appeared for the applicants, while Mr. Emmanuel
Akaka represented the defendants.

Justice Belgore granted the applicants 30 days within which to file
their statement of claim, which should be served on General Abacha
and five other top government officers, named as co-defendants to the
suit.

The judge equally directed the government and other defendants to
file their statement of defence within 21 days.

The other five defendants are: the Inspector General of Police,
Comptroller General of Prisons, the Director of State Security
Service (SSS), the Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) and the
Attorney-General of the Federation.

Chief Fawehinmi and Mr. Falana are praying the court to grant a
mandatory order compelling General Abacha, other defendants, their
servants, agents and or privies, to release forthwith 119 persons
(both civilian and military personnel, being held in various places
of detention and prisons in Nigeria by them) pursuant to declared
state policy and Federal Government's pronouncement by the Head of
State on November 17.

It was the applicants' contention that such policy and pronouncement
have been judicially decided by the Supreme Court in the case of
Ike-V-Nzekwe on February 4, 1975,  as having the force of law in
Nigeria and enjoining all courts in Nigeria to take judicial notice
of such or similar declared policy and pronouncement.

Among those the lawyers are seeking their release are: Chief M.K.O
Abiola, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Otunba Biyi Durojaiye, former
Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Olu Falae and deposed
Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki.

Also prominent on the list of detainees are detained scribe of
NUPENG, Mr Frank Kokori, and convicted military officers Colonels
Lawan Gwadade  and Bello Fradile.

Other proposed beneficiaries of the order being sought in the suit
include journalists,TSM Publisher, Mrs Chris Anyanwu, former Editor
The News, Kunle Ajibade, George  Mbah of TELL and  Ben Charles -Obi
of the defunct Weekend Classique.

The remaining detained newsmen are Onome Osifo -Whiskey, Managing
Editor TELL, Babafemi Ojudu Managing Editor The News, Moshood
Fayemiwo of the defunct Razor and Bagauda Katho of The News.

General Abacha in a television broadcast on November 17, last year
had announced a general amnesty for detained persons whose release
would constitute no further impediment to the security of our
country" 
Source:  The PUNCH, March 3, 1998.

GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL PLEDGES ON RELEASE OF DETAINED JOURNALISTS.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Head of state, Chief David Attach,
has promised to take up the issue of detained journalists to the
highest level of authority in the country.

Attah who was the guest speaker at the launching of a book, entitled.
The Mass Media in Nigeria written by Malam Nababa Gusau, however
noted that fewer journalists would be in detention if journalists
would be more restrained in their scathing attacks on public
functionaries who would reciprocate by becoming more tolerant of
them.

"In the true spirit of the Nigeria vision, all Nigerian journalists
alike should learn to confront our problems instead of confronting
ourselves" he said.

He said that the time had come for the press to discard all its old
prejudices and bias and join hands with government to achieve true
national reconciliation and development.

Attah noted that the present administration had done a lot to pacify
the situation occasioned by the annulment of the June 12, 1993
election and get the nation back on course adding that what was now
required was for journalists to endeavour to be part of the process
of national transformation.
 
NEW ADVERT RULE ON CIGARETTE PACKS BEGINS
The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) is to
enforce a new rule on cigarette advertisements in Nigeria. The new
rule is in form of an alternate health warning on cigarette packs and
advertisements aimed at discouraging the growing rate of smoking.
Thus, with the latest development, tobacco manufacturers are expected
to replace the former pay off "The Federal Ministry of Health warns
that Tobacco Smoking is Dangerous to Your Health" on the pack of
their products with a  new one "smokers are liable to die young". It
is expected to be displayed on cigarette packs and printed so boldly
that it could be visible to the  consumers. The same will also apply
to all radio and television commercials on the product.


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