NIGERIA MEDIA MONITOR

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#03-30 MONDAY 3RD AUGUST, 1998



*	JOURNALISTS ASSAULTED; ANOTHER ARRESTED
*	NUJ REWARDS "THE INNOCENT FOUR"; FETES OTHER FREED 
	JOURNALISTS
*	SACKED JOURNALISTS REINSTATED
*	SUSPENDED JOURNALIST TABLES CASE BEFORE CGS
*	NITEL'S THREAT TO INTERNET.
*	NUJ AND CONSTITUTIONAL PROBLEM

NEWSREEL
JOURNALISTS ASSAULTED; ANOTHER ARRESTED
Some journalists covering the proceedings at the launching of a new
political party; United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP) were assaulted 28
July, 1998 they were attempting to take the photograph of the leader of
the party Alhaji Isa Mohammed when he slumped down while delivering a
keynote address at the ceremony.

Mike Agada and Sunday photojournalists with The Punch and The News were
manhandled and have their cameras were,snatched and smashed while
attempting to record the incident. This resulted into a free- for-all
fight between the journalists and the politicians present at the ceremony. 

In another development, the Anambra state correspondent of The Punch
newspaper, Mr. Ofonime Umanah, was arrested by the police in the state. He
was picked up at The Punch office in Onitsha on 29 July 1998 at about 8.30
in the morning by three policemen who said they were from the Central
Police Station (CPS), Onitsha. At the CPS, Umanah was directed to see the
Divisional Police Officer (DPO) who later referred him to an officer who
ordered that he should be detained at Enugwu Ukwu police post, close to
the police headquarters in Anambra.

The police have given no reason for the arrest.

NUJ REWARDS "THE INNOCENT FOUR"; FETES OTHER FREED JOURNALISTS.
The four journalists, popularly called "the innocent four", convicted over
the 1995 alleged coup plot have been conferred with the "Ambassador of
Courage of Nigerian Press"  award by the Lagos state council of the
Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ). The Union also planned a compendium
of their experience in jail. The proposed book, according to Lanre
Arogundade, the chairman of the Union, shall be titled "Testimonies of
Ambassadors of Courage". Also, a yearly seminar is also planned in attempt
to immortalise their names. The sum of $445 is also announced to have been
raised for the four journalists by the British Union of Journalists,
(BUJ).

The journalists were Kunle Ajibade, Editor, The News; Mrs. Chris Anyanwu,
publisher of The Sunday Magazine (TSM); George Mbah, Assistant Editor,
TELL magazine, Ben Charles-Obi, Editor Weekend Classique, who were
released recently by the Federal Government.

Similarly, the Lagos council of the NUJ on Saturday 25 July, 1998
organised an elaborate reception ceremony for all the journalists recently
released for the detention. The ceremony which was attended by veterans in
the profession, pro-democracy activists journalists and human right
activists, called on the General Abubakar regime to release the other
journalists still being held including Niran Malaolu, Editor of The Diet
Newspapers, implicated in the alleged coup in December 1997, Moshood
Fayemiwo, Publisher of Razor magazine, Bagauda Kaltho, The News
correspondent and Mr. Chinedu Offoaro of The Guardian Newspapers.

The NUJ boss lauded the solidarity shown by foreign organisations as well
as the local pro-democracy groups in sustaining the campaign for the
release of the journalists.  He further called for the excision of section
154 (9) of the draft constitution which "provides for the establishment of
a National Mass Media Commission.

While proposing the toast for the released journalists, Mr. Femi Falana,
lawyer and human rights activist, called on the federal government to:
* Pay compensation to the released journalists, having been wrongly and
unjustly jailed.  And unless this is done, others will do worse next time.
* Immediately repeal Decree two
* Immediately abolish all special tribunals across the country and resort
to the normal civil courts of law.

The released journalists present at the ceremony were the four convicted
journalists, Onome Osifo-Whiskey, General Editor, TELL magazine, Soji
Omotunde, Editor, African Concord, Babafemi Ojudu, Managing Editor,
TheNews/Tempo and Tokunbo Fakeye, Senior Correspondent, TheNews/Tempo.

SACKED JOURNALISTS REINSTATED
The Ondo State Executive Council, Saturday 25 July, 1998 announced the
reinstatement of three journalists working with the Ondo State Television
(ODTV) who were sacked on 12 May, 1997.

The journalists, Messrs. Rotimi Obamuwagun, Sehinde Adeniyi and Ola
Bamidele were axed for broadcasting a press release by the Ondo State
council of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) denouncing the slapping of
ODTV's General Manager, Mrs. Dunni Fagbeyibo by an unknown soldier last
February.  As a result of the incident, a probe panel was constituted to
investigate the case and review the activities of the corporation in the
last two years.  The panel recommended the dismissal of the journalists
for what was described as disloyal and subversive acts against the state
government.

The government spokesman, Mr. Daniel Adeyanju Ojo who announced the
decision to reinstate the journalists said that the journalists were
called back to the office due to the intervention of the National
President of NUJ, Mr. Lanre Ogundipe, Ondo State NUJ, Chairman, Mr. Dayo
Fadehunsi and a broad spectrum of people in the state.

SUSPENDED JOURNALIST TABLES CASE BEFORE CGS
A journalist with the Akwa Ibom State owned weekly newspaper, The Weekend
Pioneer, suspended from duty five months, ago without pay has taken his
case before the Chief of  General Staff (CGS), Rear Admiral Mike Akhigbe.

The embattled journalist, Mr. Sam Akpe, until his suspension, the Features
Editor, was ordered to proceed on an indefinite suspension on March 9, by
the State Administrator, Navy Captain Joseph Adeusi.

Though reasons for his suspension were not indicated in the letter from
the management of the newspaper, Adeusi who later owned up to ordering the
action, told journalists at Government House, Uyo during the March edition
of his monthly press briefing that the editor was not only punished for
using government medium to attack government, but also for receiving a
N50,000 pay-off from Mr. Isong Akpabio, the public affairs manager, Mobil
Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU), Eket.

Despite strident denials and pleas of innocence by the reporter on both
charges, the administrator has refused too review his case and order his
suspension lifted.

In a distress letter to the CGS, dated July 20, and entitled: The
Persecution of A Reporter: A Call for Intervention," Akpe cried: "...by
those allegations, especially that on bribe taking, a question mark now
hangs menacingly  over my reputation.  I now have a credibility crisis in
the eyes of my colleagues, and within the media industry in Nigeria.  The
consequences,  of this situation for me are" career-threatening (since) a
journalist is as good as his reputation."
The accusation of bribe-taking, he insisted, is not in any way true.  I
never met the Mobil official that the military administrator cited in his
allegation before writing the article.  I am equally sure the Mobil
official does not even know I exist.  In the letter, copies of which were
sent to the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Vice Marshall Nsiskak Eduok, and
his naval counterpart, Fear Admiral Jibril Ayinla, the journalist who
insisted on his innocence, stated:  "The report of this allegation was
widely published in newspapers and magazines across the country.  And the
embarrassment is far beyond words.  I feel threatened and unsafe.  Navy
Captain Adeusi has descended on me with the full might of his office and
personality, and the weight is crushing."

While calling for their combined intervention, Akpe pointed out that this
was "not to help me regain my job at Akwa Ibom State Newspaper
Corporation, but to investigate and establish the truth or otherwise of
Navy Captain Joseph Adeusi's allegations against me."

"It is morally compelling that the military administrator be made to
either publish the evidence he claims to have regarding the issue of bribe
taking or retract the allegations," he pleaded

Akpe was suspended on March 9, following a report, entitled: "The Spill
Continues," he published in the March 6 edition of the paper in response
to an advertiser's announcement by the Akwa Ibom State Youth Development
Association (AKYDA) in the February 16 edition of the same paper as well
as some national dailies.

NITELS THREAT TO INTERNET: SERVICE PROVIDERS TO PROTEST TO PRESIDENCY
The national carrier, NITEL has called the bluff of Internet Service
Providers, ISPs, insisting that the N10,000 ($117) per line per month
charged slammed on them for receiving only Internet Service telephone
lines still stands in spite of all the controversies and protests.  

But the service providers are preparing to make a protest to the
presidency, saying the decision will frustrate government's effort to
encourage the service, and will lead to an increase in tariffs which will
ultimately be passed to the subscribers.  This may be the biggest jolt to
the grading Internet Industry in Nigeria.

This latest NITEL's decision is coming shortly after a global Internet
conference INET '98 which ended in Switzerland at the weekend, rose
against the decision by NITEL, advising that such measures and policies be
discontinued.  Latest NITEL's decision was through a memo dated July 20,
ref. MDCE/A.5/Vol.VI/REG 508/322, signed by G. A Jibrin, on behalf of
NITEL's Chief Executive, Professor Buba Bajoga, conveyed to the Nigerian
Internet Group, NIG, insisting that it will deal with the IDP's on one to
one and not as an umbrella organisation the NIG, which is seeking
government intervention.

The NIG had intervened on behalf of service providers in a memo sent to
NITEL dated July 2, stating that "after an extensive deliberations on the
issue (the letter sent providers for the new fees christened
"Interconnection fee)" wishes to state that we do not understand the basis
for the interconnection agreement mentioned in the letter and the
rationale for any mandatory charge on receive only lines being demanded by
NITEL."

The letter signed by Secretary to NIG, Mr. Lanre Ajayi, and copied to the
Minister of Communications and Chief Executive of the Nigerian
Communications Commission, NCC said "Interconnectivity is necessary where
there is an exchange of traffic between two networks and an
interconnection agreement is signed between the parties involved, to
address modalities for sharing costs and revenue".  He said "in our own
opinion, the nature of ISP business, does not involve the exchange of
traffic with NITEL, hence, there is no need  for any interconnection
agreement.

Inspite of this protest, NITEL went ahead to disconnect the service
providers from July 3rd, forcing the NIG to protest to the Communications
Minister, in a save our soul message dated July 7, asking for his
intervention "in this matter so as to save the industry from collapse".

Before the expected intervention of the minister, NITEL had finally
rebuffed the NIG in the July 20 letter saying "it (NITEL) maintains
contractual relationships only with specific corporate and licenced
organisation and not with umbrella organizations/interest groups. The
monopoly also said "NITEL's position is however without prejudice to the
merits or demerits of the submissions and claims made in your letter." It
said that any member of the group who has an issue to raise should come
and discuss directly with NITEL officials.

This latest positions has already compounded the matter as the NIG made up
of corporate institutions like National Universities Commission, higher
institutions of learning, research institutes, libraries, oil companies,
corporate bodies, experts, Internets Service Providers among others was
duly licenced among others by the Nigerian Communications Commission,
(NCC). NITEL's decision to ward of the NIG as an interest group, prompted
a meeting held Tuesday 28 July, 1998 by the group to ask for the
intervention of the presidency. An Internet expert also said that the
latest attempt to treat the NIG as mere association, as against its due
licence, and negation of its roles in promoting Internet use in Nigeria,
is a divide and rule tactics to achieve the predatory pricing of Internet
use in Nigeria,  and advised the NIG not to countenance such a position
being pulled by NITEL.

The Internet pricing controversy was also a subject for comments at the
just concluded global Internet summit in Switzerland with many Nigerian
participants reporting the development.

Although no formal letter was sent to the Nigerian government over the
position on latest charges on Internet receive only telephones, by NITEL,
the summit condemned the practice and urged government to act fast to
change the scenario as the current cost of Internet service in Nigeria
remains about the highest in the whole word.

Reports from Ghana, South Africa, European Asian and American countries
which were presented, showed that the idea of charging receive only phones
for Internet service in Nigeria is the first of its kind, and can only
make the costs become high against all expectations.

The commentators said that considering that receive only lines generate
more traffic in all Internet environment, because it is an access line
which all users of Internet must use at all times, therefore,  putting
them in constant benefit of the provider, the decision is very
retrogressive.

This argument falls in line with the position of the NIG which had argued
that while a normal NITEL's  voice only telephone generates about N1,500
($176) per month, the average usage of receive only lines by the ISPs is
about ten hours per day and assuming it is only local call rates of N1.80
per minute, will yield some N32,100 ($377)mper month.
  
"We should emphasize that calls made on  receive only lines are
incremental in that those calls would not be made if ISPs did not exist",
it said.

It further argued that if NITEL goes ahead with this tariff, it means that
"for an ISP with 50 dial up lines, this NITEL's demand will be an added
running cost of N500,000 ($5, 882) per month," which "will then cost more
than a 64 kbps international leased circuit."

According to the NIG, "an additional charge on receive only lines will
only exacerbate the high cost of operations being experienced by ISPs in
Nigeria."  Almost all the big service providers have more than 50 lines
raising the depth of the grouse over NITEL's charge.

The group contend that NITEL is pivotal to government's goals of
deregulation and liberalization  and that its action must therefore be
seen to encourage investment and stimulate growth of the
telecommunications industry in Nigeria, but that this latest position runs
counter to these government's objective.

As at the time of going to press, the group is yet to adopt a position on
how to reach the presidency but the new tariff is already taking its toll
as many are considering an upward review of tariff charged to customers.
Source:  Vanguard, 29 July, 1998

INFORMED COMMENTARY
NUJ AND CONSTITUTIONAL PROBLEM
On September 27 and 28 1991, the then National and State officers of the
Nigeria Union of Journalists, and selected delegates across the country,
gathered at the Bagauda Lake Hotel in Kano for a two-day constitutional
conference.

Expectedly, new standards were set at the conference.  New entrants were
required to obtain at least a Diploma or Degree in Journalism or Mass
Communication.  In addition, holders of such qualifications were required
to serve a probationary period of 12 months before they could be
registered.

Persons with diplomas and degrees in other disciplines were expected to
meet two conditions before they could then qualify for registration.
These conditions, I presume is what the Nigeria Press Council's Decree 85
of 1992 modified.  Participants at the Kano conference were satisfied at
the end of deliberations that major moves had been made to sanitise the
union activities, as well as the practice of journalism in Nigeria.

This they thought, will help bring about lasting solutions to the sagging
image of the profession.  Nuhu Gagara, then of the Plateau State Council,
in one of his contributions on the floor of the conference, said "The new
entry requirements for journalists would solve the problem of indiscipline
among practitioners."

He added: "Some of our members are so indisciplined and corrupt that at
times, I wonder how they got registered."  Emmanuel Oijie, then secretary
to the Benue State Council, described the new constitution "as Nigerian
journalists last hope".  He said: "Although, there are some noticeable
shortcomings in the new constitution, there "is hope that it will redirect
our members especially our leaders towards professional sanity."

Almost seven years after, how wrong this belief turned out to be.  Yet
nothing has changed due mainly to the ineffective manner the conditions
stipulated in that constitution were implemented.  Journalism practice
today, like it has always been, is still an all covers affairs.

Our leaders, especially at the union levels have not been able to exhibit
the professional maturity and the sanity expected of them.  There isn't
any doubt, in my mind that Nigerian journalists urgently need to hold
another constitutional conference, to see how far they can remedy this
ugly situation.

It is heart-warming to know that the Lanre Ogundipe led National Executive
Council is already thinking along this line.  Preparations are said to be
in top gear for the constitutional conference coming up any moment from
now in Yola.

But, I am not too confident about the present crops of our National
leaders' ability to carry out this enormous task. 

As journalists make preparations for yet another conference, the fact they
must note lose sight of, is constitutional crisis, which has been the bane
of N.U.J since its inauguration on March 1, 1955.

In 1975, the union was almost torn apart due to succession crisis.

Decree 22 of 1978 that was subsequently approved for the union by the
government of the day, proved not to be helpful.

Another constitutional crisis again rocked the union in 1980 at the Akure
National Delegates Conference, where Bola Adedoja emerged as National
President.

That conference was marred when Ralph Igwa and his supporters walked out
over a proposal for the representation at the conference.

In Enugu in 1985, the delegates conference was not better, as all attempts
to amend the union constitution failed.

Six years later, journalists found peace for the first time, met in Kano
and agreed to amend the constitution.

To date, that was the first and only time such a feat was achieved by
Nigerian journalists.

This was after a lot of groundwork has been done by Sani Zorro-led
National Executive Council.

Hence, my advice to the Ogundipe's executive is to be up and doing if they
sincerely want a new constitution for the union.

Already, a new draft constitution, has been prepared by the Adamu Marshal
and, Chom Bagu-led committee for members to deliberate upon and approve.

A close look at the document shows two major area of amendments. The
tenure of office of elected officers which is extended from two years to
three per term and a new revenue formula, that tend to favour state
councils and chapels.

I believe in fundamental changes, that could give more bite to the
effective implementation of the conditions contained in the constitution.

Anyway, I was told that an amendment is being proposed by a group which
the National President is alleged to be supporting at the Lagos Council.

The amendment(s) are alleged to have been conceptualised in an attempt to
get at some individual groups or factions in the union. It is said to be
directed principally at journalists working with government-owned media
houses.

>From what I have gathered so far, if adopted, journalists from over 150
chapels across the country will be disenfranchised.

I honestly do not think this is the kind of amendments practitioners are
yearning for.

However, I don't believe this is to be true, but if there is anything
similar to that, I appeal to the president and his Executive Council
members to ensure that, that section is expunged from the draft that will
be presented to delegates in Yola so as not to precipate another
consitutional ciris in the union.

I would rather suggest, that section 12 in Article 6 of the N.U.J's
constitution, which excludes members holding very senior editorial
responsibilities from seeking elective positions in the union to be
amended. 
* By Gabriel Omonhinmin of the Voice of Nigeria, Lagos.

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