As usual, I am thinking of my country. What else is there to think about anyway? Has it not been said that, we have no other country but this one? In terms of specifics, I am thinking of the new assault on the media, by President Muhammad Buhari. But even then, a close look will reveal that PMB is not directly responsible for this latest offensive. The visible face is that of Honourable Odebunmi, the sponsor of this odious bill.
Just what is happening? As we were beginning to recover from the rather hasty and impulsive ban on Twitter, we are having to contend with another assault on the media. Among other things, the bill seeks to virtually criminalize the work of journalists. If a mistake is made, the options open to the journalist are very dire. He can be jailed or fined the princely sum of 250,000 Naira. And to boot, the media house, can also be fined the rather hefty sum of 10 million naira. Evidently, this is not our first time at this sad pass.
Then, it was a combination of decrees, 2 and 4 which were used to muzzle the press during the first coming of Buhari. In a perverse way, it was very possible to excuse the situation then, after all, it was a military government. And to this extent, it was perfectly possible to put in place instruments which would stem the flow of information. Such a situation however, is far from ideal. It hallmarked us as one of those countries that is still in the dark ages. Whereas, if it is properly thought out, the health of the polity is rest assured, where there is free flow of information.
In the short run, it might not be convenient. But in the long run, a free press serves everyone better, including the leaders. For, bottled up passions and feelings when not ventilated through proper channels can easily spell doom for any society. Earlier on, the point was made that we have been here before, and in the process, I referenced the Buhari regime. Strictly speaking this is not even true. The stifling of the press pre-dates the Buhari era. One of the draconian instruments of colonialism was the gagging of the press. And the colonialists true to their calling, ensured the narrowing of the space for information flow. And to boot, a number of casualties bore the brunt of this offensive. I remember here the travails of Chief Anthony Enahoro and other nationalists who were imprisoned in the course of their work as journalists. So at the risk of exaggeration, one can easily say that, the trappings of colonialism and the military can be found in our current democratic dispensation. And this does not make anyone proud at all.
What passes for the media in contemporary times is an octopus-like phenomenon. It is so hydra-headed, and therefore almost impossible to regulate and control
The conviction is that our Nigeria deserves better. What a way indeed to pay back the media for its herculean efforts. Over time, this critical institution stood at the barricades and in the process gave military rule a good run for its sadistic devices. And here the situation begins to get a bit personal.
In those days, I remember the exploits of the A.M news. This was a pro-democracy, quasi-guerilla newspaper, which in its own way counter-posed itself to military rule during the Abacha regime. On this note, I remember one fine afternoon, when we hosted some journalists from France. They wondered why we held our meetings so openly, and that were we not afraid of being picked up? These observations unconsciously perhaps touched on the limitations of even military rule. As draconian as it is, even military dictatorship cannot police every inch of the state. The situation is even more difficult in a civilian setting, so why is PMB trying to do virtually the impossible.
Whereas, properly cultivated and channeled, the press can easily be an instrument of development. What becomes obvious from what we have said so far is that the temporary holders of power cannot be regarded as diligent students of history. And here, the wise words of Professor Sam Oyovbaire are worth recalling. According to him, before the modern Nigerian State was midwifed into existence, there was the Nigerian Press. And in what appears to be the proper role of the press in any given polity, we have to hark back to one famous practitioner-Tunji Oseni, a former Managing Director of the Daily Times. According to him, the duty of the press is to maintain a bold and realistic balance between the government and the governed. Tough task! But it must be said here that the press has lived up to the billing as stipulated by Oseni.
This is not to say that the Nigerian media is a perfect institution. Far from it. It has its own blemishes, but still, it is an institution which by and large can hold its head high. Even then, it does not take much to appreciate that at the moment, there are enough statutory provisions which can take care of shortcomings on the part of the media.
Again, what the proponents of the bill have failed to appreciate, is that the media landscape has been transformed. What passes for the media in contemporary times is an octopus-like phenomenon. It is so hydra-headed, and therefore almost impossible to regulate and control. The ban on Twitter is a prime instance. Twitter does not stand alone as a choice. There are so many alternatives to this particular platform. In the process of banning it, what the government appears to have done was in reality an exercise in futility
What is also amazing, is the very selective amnesia on the part of one of the bill’s supporters. I refer specifically here to our Information Minister, Lai Mohammed.
For those who care to remember, this gentleman who is also a lawyer peppered the respective administrations of YarAdua and Goodluck Ebele Jonathan with his exploits in the press. On one occasion, I ran into him at the Abuja Airport and I asked him why he was so hard on YarAdua, since they were contemporaries at the famous Government College, Keffi. His terse reply was that this is a national duty and it was not personal. But then dear reader, remember that Lai Mohammed was then in the opposition.
Today, he is in Government, and he now wants to undermine the instruments, which have in a way ensured his current position. The comfort from all of these, is that life is a transient. Some two years down the line, the political landscape may change again. And to this extent, the status quo of today may become the opposition tomorrow. At that point in time, such a person may need the press again.
And this is precisely why, PMB and his information managers should do a re-think. Going down an old road as they are doing, carries with it negative consequences. For, after their exit, which is inevitable, the media will still be there. Therefore, this critical institution should be cultivated and used for positive ends that will benefit the polity, History beckons and it will surely judge each and everyone of us in due season.
