AN APPRAISAL OF PRESS FREEDOM IN NIGERIA, UNDER PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN OBASANJO. REGIME (1999-2007)
ABSTRACT
This topic of research “An appraisal of Press Freedom in Nigeria, under President Olusegun Obasanjo regime (1999-2007) (A case study) is a top flight, though provoking and interesting challenging especially in our contemporary Nigeria which has embraced democracy and has been nurturing it for Eight years after almost thirty years of military dictatorship or domination of political power since independence in 1960.
Since military incursion in the country’s political calendar on 14th January 1966 through a coup de-tat led by major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and four of his colleagues, it has because a recycling decimal in the country’s political history. Throughout the successive military regimes, the press has had collusion with the rough edge of the law in the pursuit of their profession. Thus Journalism because a dreaded career fraught with dangers as they were subjected to arrest, incarceration, harassment, threat, physical violence and assassination.
Then there came a new dawn on 29th may 1999 when the country turned to a democrats vale, journalism takes another dimension, there exists freedom of information though the freedom was. Not absolute. The reason was because of the decrees from the military are that found the way in to this democratic dispensation. But there was room for media excellence and the presses excels and are still excelling in fulfilling the social responsibility both to the government and the governed.
The aim of this research is to know whether the press has freedom in the past dispensation. However, freedom of press is possible only when the rights of the press are protected. This can never be achieved in an autocratic set-up, accept in a democratic environment as our appraisal of press freedom in such dispensation has shown. This project is written in five (5) chapters in order of their priorities. Chapter one with an insight to the research, hypothesis and significance among other. Chapter two handles the glace and review on the information bill. Chapter three takes care of the research methods, designs, population. And data collection. Chapter four analysis the data collected from the questionnaires distributed and chapter five treats the summary and recommendation for improvement on making press freedom to be totally absolute.
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the research Problem
1.3 Objective of the Study
14 Significant of the Study
1.5 Research Questions
1.6 Research Hypothesis
1.7 Conceptual and Operational definition of Terms.
1.8 Assumption
1.9 Limitation of the Study
CHAPTER TWO
2.1 Source of Literature
2.2 The Review
2.3 Summary of Literature review
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Research Methodology
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Data Analysis and Result
CHAPTER FIVE
5.4 Questionnaire
5.5 Bibliography
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
For the press to pay their basic roles, it must exercise fully its freedom. In other words, for the freedom of the press to be fully appreciated, we must understand the implication of a citizen having a fundamental right to free access to information in all matters that directly or indirectly concern them and also the right to express and publish its opinion there on.
On this premise, the General assembly of the United Nations on December 14, 1646 declared, “freedom of information is a fundamental human right, and is the t corner stone of all freedom to which United Nations is consecrated.”
1. According to the sub-Committee of common wealth press union headed by Lord Shawcross, freedom of press is” the freedom of the press is “The freedom that is not a special privilege of newspaper but derives from fundamental right of every person to have full and free access to the facts in all matters that affect him.” With regards to these fundamental rights, the press are expected to be free to gather news without obstruction or restriction to publish the news and to comment on it.
2. The Nigeria Constitution of 1999 section 39 sub- section 1 concedes the right to freedom of expression and the press by stating that “Every person shall be entitled to freedom to hold opinion and to receive and impart ideas and information with out interference”
The administration and governance of Nigeria was pre-dominantly military after independence in 1960 and a coup in 1966. The military ruled the country with successive coup until 1979. When there was a brief democracy, which lasted for four years before another army took over in 1983. The military ruled until May 29th 1999 when it handed over the mantle of leadership to a democratically elected government led by chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
The media as the fourth arm of government was not spared from the military obnoxious policies. Their control, which was determined by decree lad to out right closure of media houses, intimidation and harassment of practitioners etc.
The imprisonment of journalist over reports government felt was an agonistic saw the likes of Tunde Tomson and Nduka rabor jailed under the infamous decrees 4 in 1987. Others include Christ Okolie, Innocent Okparadike Editor of the observer in Benin etc. All these happening under the military regime did not make it conducive for the press to function well. The military may not be entirely written off as enemies of the media because they ushered in an era that led to competition among various media organizations. This is because the excessive dictatorial tendencies of the military caused the press to become more daring and committed to seeking it’s freedom.
The high handedness of the military reduced some media house in to government mega - phone for fear of being harassed or closed down. Such media who own their assistance, control and sustenance to the government of the of the day depended on it for subvention as a means of survival. Mostly affected were the electronic media and some print media owed and control by those in power. This led to the deregulation in 1989 of media houses by issuing operating licenses especially to those who want to own and operate the electronic media. This development led to the establishment of private radio and television houses in the country thus breaking government monopoly of the electronic media industry. Coming upon the levels of these regulations were stations like African Independence Television (A.I.T), MINAJ, DBN etc. Inspite of these welcome developments, the torture on the media houses that were mount before the exit of the military in the governance of the country can not be quantified.
The military quit leadership of the country in May 1999 and handed over to a democratically elected government led by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, which has long been the agitation of the press and the entire country. Under this administration, the press may be said to have an air of freedom in the exercise of it’s constitutional role as the eye and ear of the society. Innovations in the operations of the media may have resulted due to advance in technology, enough have been achieved if any in terms of ownership of the media in the last eight years of the post administration.
Although the administration has done its best in initiating policies that can head to the protection of infant industries and manufacturers. It has not done much in the area of information technology. There are still feeling that the news content of the media are being doctored to fit or rather suit aspiration of those in power. There is also a feeling that the sectional political nature of the society may have polarized the media in such away that each pursues an agenda favorable to its ethnic origin or its ethnic consideration.
The other school of though has it that the media has lost its bite and is no longer that which fought for the enthronement of democracy in the country thus, allowing a lot of malpractices to have their way in to the nations’ polity. While most people attribute this to their resolve in supporting the democratic dispensation, others felt that media for fear of being intimidated, have succumbed to the feelings and aspirations of the government.
These issues therefore make the study very important as we will in the following chapters discuss the operation of the media in the past administration of president Olusegun Obasanjor, the attempt will hinge on providing solutions to some of the issues posed in this background.
The problem is that, the Nigerians press has been some how accused by many on the principle of the country political setting.
Therefore, the press, which ought to report and unit the people through promotion of cultural values, are being deficient in meeting the people expectations.
As a student of mass communicational this then give the researcher an impetus to investigate the issue in order to ascertain the appraisal of press freedom in Nigeria, During the past democratic dispensation.
The primary aim of this project is to examine the appraisal of press freedom in Nigeria between 1999-2007 the study seeks to answer the following question.
The relevance of this study is to identify whether the Nigeria press is free in the hand of the past government. Also is the fact that the past administration fends to intimidate the press on their activities.
This study may be useful for students of mass communication who may be interested in conducting further research into the issue for on in-depth understanding.
This will aim at assessing the performance of the press, the atmosphere in which they operate, during the past dispensation, which is “Olusegun Obasanjo regime”. They are as follows:
Ho: Civilian rule does not foster brighter prospect for the media.
Ho: The media have not performed well in this dispensation than any other civilian rule.
Ho: The press has not been used as are instrument of government under civilian rule.
CONCEPTUAL: This is the assessment of an expert opinion on the value of an issue such as press freedom.
OPERATIONAL: To determine the view and evaluation of experts on the value of freedom of press.
CONCEPTUAL: This is the fundamental right of every person to have free access to the fact in all matters that directly or indirectly concern him and, his equal right to express and publish his opinion there on, and to hear an read opinion of others.
OPERATIONAL: To know if the press with this rights are free to gather news without obstruction, to publish the news and comment there on.
CIVILIAN RULE:
CONCEPTUAL: This referee to the exercise of power or authority over a given society or country which does not have it roots or foundation from armed forces.
OPERATIONAL; To determine the effect of power under a society that is free from armed forces in its foundation.
GOVERNMENT:
CONCEPTUAL: This refers to the exercise of political unit or people as well as the performance of certain function for this unit or body.
OPERATIONAL: This is known as the body that have authority to rule a political unit of people including the press and how they go about it.
It is assumed that the press still suffer what they suffered during the military rule. Though a lot of difference can clearly be noticed. It is also assumed that the cerotic nature of the society in those days still affect the press in such a way that the context of the media and media itself, pursuers an agenda favourable to its ethnic consideration and to those authority.
Based on the topic of this study, I limited the study on assessing the performance of Obasanjo on the media in the last seven years.
Because of the nature of the study, relevant materials and literature that would compliment the attempt are not available. It has nome the less propelled me into action to ensure that I meet with the requirements of this exercise.
Adequate sampling size is likely to pose threats to this research. This is because not all the respondents may have exposure to problems, which the press has encountered recently. Again, the multi-cultured nature of our society is such that the press could be said to be concentrated on few hands, thus giving a clear assessment of the incumbent vis-à-vis his relationship with the media becoming a bit difficult.
Financial constraints made me to streamline the research endeavor to take the available resources. The time frame in view of the crowded academic activities equally limited my research effort. These as highlighted above are the several factors that handicapped, in which I envisaged limitation the sphere of the of this study .
REFERENCES
1. Bojvwade, D (1987): Journalism and society; Evans . brothers, Jericho Road, Ibadan.
2. Okunna .S. Chingere (1985): “public communication polices and the mass media in the new Nigeria” in international journal of communication, Enugu Ebenezer production Nigeria Limited.
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