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.
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.
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