The Federal Government (FG)
has been enjoined to reactivate the Nigerian Press Council and review its Code
of Conduct so as to enable requisite discharge of its duties effectively as
enshrined in the Constitution, reports ITRealms.
Chairman of Savannah Centre, Professor Ibrahim Gambari made the call while delivering the inaugural
PSN Confab lecture on the topic "Towards 2019 Elections: Hate Speech and
Implications For Ethnic Relations" in Abuja on Monday.
Prof Gambari, a former
Nigeria's permanent representative to the United Nations, who was represented
said Savanna Centre attaches great importance to the issue of Hate Speech,
which he insisted is not Free Speech.
The Guest Speaker
lamented that the level of hate and inflammatory speeches seen in recent times
were the worst since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
According to him,
"Freedom of Speech cannot be absolute, freedom of speech as its
limit," adding that there was an urgent need for National Law to
"redress hate speech now not later."
On the road to 2019
general elections, Savannah Centre enjoined media managers to demonstrate
absolute patriotism by not promoting any individual or group above the nation.
While stressing the
important roles that the media and civil society organisations must play in
curbing hate speech, Prof Gambari, warned that "a major dislocation of
Nigeria is a dislocation of the African continent."
He therefore, called on
the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission and the Nigerian Press Council to work
together to deal with hate speech ahead of 2019 elections while CSOs must
redouble their advocacy.
Contributing, President
of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mrs Funke Egbemode, who was a panelist,
expressed concern about promulgating new law to deal with hate speech when
there are existing laws that have not been enforced.
Mrs Egbemode posited
that rather than making new law, government should be more interested in
getting to the root cause of hate speech so as to guide against it.
She said many people are
unhappy and would always find a way of expressing their feelings, insisting
that "the laws won't fix it."
Another panelist,
President of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, GOCOP, Mr. Dotun
Oladipo, said making new laws to regulate the social media gives the impression
that the federal government "is out to gag the media."
Mr Oladipo, noted that
enlightened and well-informed people are not that active on the social media
especially on Twitter.
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Pix: GOCOP President, Dotun Oladipo with Prof Eyinla of INEC and
NGE President Mrs Funke Egbemode at PSN talk on hate speech in Abuja. |
He therefore, enjoined
media managers in Ministries, Agencies and Departments, MDAs, to be more
proactive by ensuring timely release of genuine information to the public via
the Twitter.
Also speaking, the
President of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Mr Waheed Odusile, said the
issue of hate speech must be looked at holistically.
He said politicians must
be mindful of their utterances ahead of elections, adding that media has a
responsibility not to report hate speech.
Prof Bolade Eyinla, who
represented the INEC chairman, said the citizens must recognise the importance
of respecting the rights of others.
According to him, social
media platforms have become instruments for propagating hate speech, saying
that all conscious citizens must condemn inciting the population through hate
speech.
The Executive Director
CITAD, Mr Y.Z Yau, also lamented that hate speech is increasing as we approach
2019 elections, calling on all hands to be on deck.
According to him,
there should be clear understanding about what is hate speech and free
speech, steesing "it is important that we amplify that."
Earlier, the Manager of
Peace and Security Network Nigeria, PSN, Mr. Adeolu Adewumi, said the Network
was established in 2013, to support better coordination of conflict prevention,
response and resolution in Nigeria.
He said the PSN Confab
series gathers policy makers, government officials, community leaders, experts
and development partners for the purpose of discussing and reinforcing a common
narrative around mitigating Hate Speeches towards 2019 and ensuring the
continued presence of peace and stability.
Uboshe Uboshe/GEE
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Pix: GOCOP President, Dotun Oladipo with Prof Eyinla of INEC and NGE President Mrs Funke Egbemode at PSN talk on hate speech in Abuja.
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