By Miriam Humbe
The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners Forum, (ABMPF), has said that henceforth, it will boycott all official activities of Niger State Government if it continues to undermine the freedom of the press operating in Niger State.
The Forum’s, Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Yelwa, (Ajiyan Yauri) made the threat after his meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of Badeggi FM Minna.
He said: “I spoke this morning with Mohammed Shuaibu Badeggi, the Chief Executive Officer of the station, who confirmed to me that the station is fully operational in spite of the Governor’s illegal orders.
“He, however, deployed the use of state machinery to further harass the station and stop it from carrying out its constitutionally guaranteed duties.”
Alhaji Yelwa expressed appreciation for the steadfastness and professionalism of the National Broadcasting Commission, (NBC), in declining the illegal orders of the the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Baggo, for the closure of Badeggi FM, Minna.
He equally praised the courage of the Minister of information, Mohammed Idris Malagi, for reminding the Niger State Government that it has no authority whatsoever to regulate an NBC
licensed radio or television station.
The NBMPF Chairman said: “We call on the Niger State Governor to call his foot soldiers to order, failing which we may be forced to direct members of our Forum in Niger State to boycott all future activities of the Government.
“In this period of insecurity and multi-dimensional poverty in Nigeria, those in authority should learn to be more tolerant and accommodating of alternative views and to remember that they are in authority not for themselves but for the people they govern.
“Time has come for our leaders to develop new attitudes in their engagement with the press.
“The media is not the enemy, but only the mirror for the society to see itself.
“The attitude of our leaders where the Lagos-Ibadan axis of the Nigerian press is given preeminence over local media should stop hence with.
“Billions of Naira are spent annually by Northern governors in patronizing Southwest media while indigenous local Northern media are left to die.
“Those that persevered, like Badeggi FM,
are daily being threatened with closure.
“Our Forum calls on all member stations facing harassment and intimidations from any authority to furnish our Secretariat with details for a collective action to stop the unhealthy practice.”
