From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Federal Government has rejected the 2021 annual World Press Freedom Index which listed Nigeria as a country not conducive to the practice of journalism.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, while speaking in Abuja, said the Nigerian press remained among the most vibrant and freest in the world.
Nigeria, which was listed 120 in the World Press Freedom characterisation, earned a reputation as one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists, who are often spied on, attacked, arbitrarily arrested or even killed.
The Special Assistant to the President, Media, Office of the Minister of Information and Culture
Segun Adeyemi, in a statement in Abuja, said Mohammed announced the rejection when the executive members of the Nigerian chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI) visited him in Abuja.
He said the president of IPI Nigeria, Mr. Muskilu Mojeed, who led the executive members on the visit, had cited the World Press Freedom Index as an example of the country’s low rating in the area of press freedom.
Mohammed said: “Honestly, at times when I read what the media write here about Nigeria, I begin to wonder whether I live in the same country that they are writing about.
“I disagree vehemently with the assessment because it is unfounded and has no scientific basis. I have been the Minister (of Information and Culture) since 2015, so I know the state of press freedom in Nigeria.”
Mohammed further said some people have misconstrued the government’s efforts to ensure a responsible use of the social media as an attempt to tamper with press freedom or threaten independent journalism.
He emphasised that the government does not harbor such intentions in any way and reiterated that the present government is not a threat to the media and it is also not about to stifle press freedom or deny anyone his or her constitutionally-guaranteed rights.
“After all, this must be one of the very few countries in the world where a section of the media can refuse to recognize popular
sovereignty, or how does one describe a situation in which a President who was duly elected by millions of Nigeria is willfully stripped of that title, President, and then cheekily cloaked in the garb of a dictator by playing up his military title? Despite that abuse of press freedom, those doing that have continued to practice their profession without hindrance.
“Ours must also be one of the few countries in the world where a reputable medium will report fake news and, when called out, will not
retract or apologize,” Mohammed stated.
While calling on the media to always stick to their constitutional watchdog role, the minister also charged the media not to constitute themselves into a political opposition.
Mohammed further charged the IPI Nigeria to take seriously, the issues of ethics, credibility and fake news, among others, in relation to the practice of journalism in the country.
President of IPI Nigeria, Mr. Mojeed, said the visit was part of a series of engagements with governmental and non-governmental organizations to enhance independent journalism and operating environment for journalists and media organizations in Nigeria.