TheCable

Musikilu Mojeed, president of the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, says the body will open a black book to document persons who assault journalists in the country.

Mojeed said this on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to Lai Mohammed, minister of information, in Abuja.

He said the move is necessary because of the country’s worsening record as it relates to press freedom under the current administration.

“I will like to inform you of a decision recently taken by the nigerian national committee of IPI. We have decided to open a black book to document every individual whose action or inaction encourages or allows the harassment of journalists and the media in Nigeria,” he said.

“The records so gathered will be regularly updated and shared periodically with embassies, and all relevant international and human rights groups across the world.

“We will use the records to ensure named individuals are held accountable one way or another.”

He added that following the country’s recent global ranking, the media was “freer and stronger” in 2015 than it is now.

“Nigeria was ranked 115 out of the 180 countries surveyed in 2013, 112 out of 180 in 2014, and 111 out of 180 in 2015. But the reverse has been the case since 2016 when we were ranked 116/180,” he said.

“The situation worsened in the succeeding years. The country was ranked 122/180 in 2017, 119/180 in 2018, 120/180 in 2019, 115/180 in 2020 and 120/180 in 2021.

“In fact, the 2021 ranking described Nigeria as one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists, who are often spied on, attacked, arbitrarily arrested or even killed.”

Responding, the minister of information said Nigeria is one of the very few countries in the world where journalists practise their profession without hindrance.

He said people misconstrue government’s efforts to ensure a responsible use of social media as an attempt to tamper with press freedom or threaten independent journalism.

“I remember saying at the opening of the 2016 IPI World Congress in Qatar that the government of the day in Nigeria is not a threat to the media, and that it is not about to stifle press freedom or deny anyone his or her constitutionally-guaranteed rights,” Mohammed said.

“That statement remains true today as it was then. I even told the congress that the Nigerian media have no reason to fear the government, and that — if anything, it is the government that is at the mercy of the media. That, too, remains true today.”

He encouraged IPI Nigeria not to relent in its action against fake news and ensuring credibility in the media.