NIGERIA MEDIA MONITOR
#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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