By Pauline Podka
THE International Press Centre, IPC, Lagos-Nigeria, through its Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub has strongly condemned the illegal closure of Badegi 90.1FM by the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago and is demanding the immediate re-opening.
Information reaching IPC SPJ-Hub states that, the closure was ordered by the Niger State governor during an expanded meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held on Friday, August 1.
The report further states that the governor’s action was in response to the station’s broadcast of an alleged content critical of the state government.
In reacting to this unwelcome development, the Executive Director, IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, in a statement, said, “this is a pure abuse of executive powers and an abysmal display of lack of regard for the media institution.
“Assuming without conceding that the station committed an infraction, the state governor should have taken his grievance to any of the relevant media regulatory bodies,” Mr. Arogundade intensified.
The IPC-SPJ Hub reinforces that, the media should not be gagged, regardless of the context and the content of the affected incident.
Arogundade continued: “In nowhere across the globe will a governor order the closure of any media organization. We are no longer in the military regime, where fear and intimidation is the order of the day.
“We operate a democratic system of government where freedom of speech and expression and thoughts are fundamental and the extent and legitimacy of the same can only be questioned in a competent court of jurisdiction.
“IPC-SPJ Hub is, therefore, calling for the immediate and unconditional re-opening of Badegi 90.1FM, and a total stop to the crackdown on press freedom in Nigeria, especially by duty bearers.”