Ime Akpan
The national assembly has come under sever criticisms following the stringent accreditation conditions it said journalists covering its activities must fulfill before they are allowed to do so.
In the guidelines issued by the national assembly management and made public on Monday, it outlined the processes of fresh accreditation for journalists to consist of 20 new conditions to be met by media houses before they are accredited to cover legislative activities.
Titled: “New guidelines for the accreditation of media organizations, journalists/ correspondents covering the national assembly,” the circular classified accreditation as permanent, temporary, foreign/ international media houses and freelance while permanent accreditation entails evidence of certificate of incorporation of the media organizations, evidence of membership of professional bodies, proof of membership of NUJ with registration number, code of certification from the National Library for the media organisation.”
The circular which was issued by the director of information at the national assembly, Mr. Agada Rawlings Emmanuel also stated that a newspaper house must show evidence that it circulates at least 40,000 copies daily.
Others include proof that media organisations must have “a functional bureau in Abuja with staff strength of not less than five editorial staff as well as daily circulation of 40,000 copies for the print media with evidence to support the claimed circulation figure. Media houses must be publishing daily and on weekends (applicable to online media).
It also stated that: “The media organisations concerned must have experience of covering proceedings of the national assembly for at least two years before applying for permanent accreditation.
“All media organisations will submit a copy of their income tax return for the last two years.
“All online media must have at least 5, 000 viewership per day. The site must have been in operation for five years and provide satisfactory evidence to this effect with clippings of the news utilised (especially parliamentary news).
“Only television stations with national coverage and specific independent producers with current running programme on the National Assembly will be allowed access into the Chambers on a permanent basis (All the production crew will be accredited as entity).
“All correspondents must attach photocopy of letter of appointment of the media organisation on whose behalf, request has been received for grant of accreditation.
“All freelance journalists seeking permanent accreditation must show evidence of not less than five years coverage of the National Assembly proceedings/full editorial focus and publication on parliamentary reportage.
“It is only journalists and correspondents whose media organisations meet the above requirements for permanent accreditation that will be entitled to carry national assembly identity card/membership of the respective press corps.
“All other media organisations who do not meet the above requirements will be captured under the temporary accreditation status and they will not be entitled to carry the National Assembly identity card/membership of the press corps of the Senate and House of Representatives.
“All temporary accredited media houses, journalists/correspondents shall be allowed into the national assembly for specific coverage not exceeding one week in the first instance and not more than twice in a month.
“All foreign/international media houses seeking accreditation shall abide by all the diplomatic protocols established by the ministry of foreign affairs for foreign media organisations, the code of ethics for Nigerian journalists and security clearance before accreditation will be considered upon the recommendation from the ministry of foreign affairs.
“All permanently accredited journalists/correspondents shall submit recertification letter from the chief executive officer of their media organisation on a seasonal basis failure to which accreditation shall be withdrawn forthwith.
“All accredited media organisation will be considered as a single entity in the issuance of passes irrespective of their membership of Senate and House of Representatives Press Corp.
“These new accreditation guidelines shall come into effect from June 1, 2019.
“With these new guidelines in place, all previous accreditation granted to journalists covering the national assembly will lapse with the dissolution of the 8th assembly.
“All journalists/correspondents covering the national assembly are by this press release advised to do the needful by getting a fresh letter of recertification from their media organisations in line with the requirement of the new guidelines to facilitate the earliest reaccreditation process before the commencement of the ninth Assembly.”
But national assembly correspondents have condemned the new guidelines saying they are aimed at muzzling the press and suppress its freedom.
In a letter addressed to the clerk of the national assembly, Mr. Sani Omolori and signed by the chairman of the senate press corps, Mr. Ezrel Tabiowo, the journalists cautioned the national legislature against swimming against the tide.
The corps stated that the guidelines “suppress press freedom and the ethos of parliamentary democracy which the press corps of both chambers have over the years strive to uphold.
“In our assessment, we believe the recent move by the management poses an act of intimidation against journalists assigned to cover the National Assembly.”
Tabiowo said Section 22 of the constitution (as amended) empowers the media to hold government and its institutions accountable to the people.
He said the press corps as a body has over the years ensured that only credible media houses and professional journalists are accredited to be members of the body, so as to shut out quacks that may give the profession a bad name.
He therefore asked the management of the national assembly to liaise with the leadership of the press corps to obtain a list of members who meet the requirements for membership as provided in the press corps bye-laws.
In its reaction, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) rejected the new guidelines describing them as “primitive”, “undemocratic”, and “blatantly anti-press and anti-people”.
In a statement by its general secretary, Ms. Mary Atolagbe, NGE said: “The Guild finds this vexatious, disrespectful and draconian. It is a scurrilous attempt to gag the press in a democracy and it cannot stand. These guidelines run contrary to the grains of reason, democratic ideals and they are a clear affront on the letter and spirit of the Nigerian constitution, which empowers journalists to freely practice their profession without any gag, muzzling and restriction.
“The national assembly guidelines negate the constitutional principle of freedom of expression and run contrary to the African Charter on fundamental rights and the right of the people to know.
‘The Guild strongly objects to these guidelines in their entirety, as they serve no public good except the myopic interest of its chroniclers and purveyors.
“The Guild is disappointed that the same eighth National Assembly, which benefited immensely from free press in its moments of trial, has turned round to put the same press in shackles and chains. We reject this crude abrasion of our constitutional rights to freely disseminate information. It cannot stand.
“The Guild urges all media houses across the nation to rise up and reject this medieval intrusion into the media space in the 21st century, much more in a democracy, which the Nigerian media doggedly fought for and for which some journalists paid the supreme price.”
For the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the guidelines are “satanic.”
The national president of the union, Mr. Christopher Iziguzo, said the national assembly was acting against the spirit of free press and asked it to withdraw the “satanic guidelines’ within 24-hours.
“We have given the National Assembly 24-hours within which to withdraw the satanic guidelines. The guidelines are meant to stifle the press. We will not accept it.
“It is unfortunate that this is coming from the National Assembly that we are all expecting to promote democracy.
“Its action is against the spirit of free press and we will not accept it. It is sad that the lawmakers will allow this to come from them,” he said.
For its part, the People’s Democratic Party described the fresh guidelines as “poisonous.”
The national chairman of the party, Mr. Uche Secondus, told Punch in an interview that even the colonial masters never asked for such “devilish conditions” when the country was under colonial rule.
“I was taken aback when the guidelines were shown to me. It is unbelievable. How can we have such under a democratic government? Are we in another man’s country or not?
“Those guidelines are poisonous and should be rejected. I want to appeal to the drafters of such guidelines withdraw them immediately and even apologise to the Nigeria people.
“When we were under the colonial rule, I’m not sure we had such draconian rules. Nigeria media should rise up and defend democracy. Nigerians should say no to such devilish conditions.”
Similarly, a legal practitioner and former 2nd Vice-president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Monday Ubani, described the new rules as “clearly illegal, null and void.”
He said the “onerous accreditation requirements are aimed at killing the constitutional right of the media to freedom of expression and to hold government accountable.”
“I think they are trying to kill the freedom of expression. The constitution guarantees the media’s right to hold the government accountable under the fundamental objective directive principle.
“There is also the right of freedom of expression under the fundamental human rights provisions.
“No government agency or authority can go against the express provisions of the constitution by limiting the power of the mass media to hold the government accountable.
“So, any measure that is geared towards limiting the right of the media to hold the government accountable and report the activities of government to the public will be clearly illegal, null and void,” he said.
Meanwhile, the senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki has distanced his office and himself from fresh guidelines.
His special adviser on media, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said although the senate president is the political leader of the national assembly, the management never brought issues of media accreditation to his attention.
“This is a demonstration of the fact that the political leadership of national assembly does not decide most of the things that happen there (national assembly management). This is definitely news to me, even as head of the media team of the chairman of the national assembly.
“It is perhaps a new policy that will be in force from June 11 when the new National Assembly will be inaugurated. In any case, I will still try to give advice to the relevant people on an issue which I consider as bordering on press freedom and access to information,” he said.
