Nigeria: Only Corrupt Elements Are Afraid Of Journalists – CSO Tells Umahi 

The Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER) has condemned in strong terms what it calls the persecution of journalists by the Ebonyi State Governor, South East of the country, David Umahi.

In a statement signed and made available to AFRICA PRIME NEWS, the Executive Director , Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER), Frank Tietie said only corrupt elements are afraid of journalists.

“Section 22 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides as follows:

 “The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people_

“The only possible reason the governor of a state in Nigeria can be so morbidly afraid of journalists to the extent of making life difficult for them to practise journalism in his state, threatening to flog them with ‘koboko’ and barring them from the state government house for life, the way the Governor Umahi is reported to have done, is because he has many skeletons to hide in his cupboard.

“Therefore there is a presumption that the current administration in Ebonyi State is very corrupt because any government that doesn’t want to stand up to the scrutiny of the Press, is an irresponsible government that has chosen not to be accountable to the people, according to Section 22 of the Constitution.

“The people of Ebonyi State should at this time be most pitied for them to have that sort of quality of a person as governor who, out of fear of the truth, wants to flog journalists with ‘koboko’ for carrying out their constitutional duties.

“Even the military, in its history of governance never contemplated such barbarity as an official policy. It can only therefore be imagined, the level of subjugation, that the citizens of that Ebonyi State are currently suffering silently, under the present administration in the state.

“CASER is therefore calling on President Buhari and other state governors in Nigeria to also bar Governor Umahi and his cabinet members from travelling to the Abuja or any other state in Nigeria until they reverse this act of illegality that threatens civilized and peaceful means of holding governments across the world, accountable to the people.

“Furthermore, CASER calls on all the Embassies, High Commissions and Foreign Missions in Nigeria to immediately begin to compile the names of the family members of Governor Umahi  and ensure that they are also issued travel ban for life, whenever again the world comes to normal.

“This action of the Ebonyi state government should not be forgotten quickly. It must remain as a permanent witness against Governor Umahi for life, unless he reverses himself this moment with full speed

“CASER also calls on the Committee for the Protection of Journalist (CPJ), journalists everywhere, including the ones in Ebonyi state to help in the compilation of the names of the family members of these abusive government officials from Ebony State. They must be taught a serious lesson in reprisal in order to restrain them from continuing on this unprogressive path that is antithetical to democracy and inimical to the promotion of national and international peace and development.

“This barbarous act by the Ebonyi State Government against journalists must be resisted locally and globally”, the statement concludes