CALL FOR TOTAL TRAVEL BAN ON GOVERNOR UMAHI, HIS CABINENT AND MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES*

PRESS RELEASE

The Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER) condemns the persecution of journalists by the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi.

Only corrupt elements are afraid of journalists.

Section 22 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides as follows:

 _The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people_ 

The only possible reason the governor of a state in Nigeria can be so morbidly afraid of journalists to the extent of making life difficult for them to practise journalism in his state, threatening to flog them with ‘koboko’ and barring them from the state government house for life, the way the Governor Umahi is reported to have done, is because he has many skeletons to hide in his cupboard. 

Therefore there is a presumption that the current administration in Ebonyi State is very corrupt because any government that doesn’t want to stand up to the scrutiny of the Press, is an irresponsible government that has chosen not to be accountable to the people, according to Section 22 of the Constitution.

The people of Ebonyi State should at this time be most pitied for them to have that sort of quality of a person as governor who, out of fear of the truth, wants to flog journalists with ‘koboko’ for carrying out their constitutional duties. 

Even the military, in its history of governance never contemplated such barbarity as an official policy. It can only therefore be imagined, the level of subjugation, that the citizens of that Ebonyi State are currently suffering silently, under the present administration in the state.

CASER is therefore calling on President Buhari and other state governors in Nigeria to also bar Governor Umahi and his cabinet members from travelling to the Abuja or any other state in Nigeria until they reverse this act of illegality that threatens civilized and peaceful means of holding governments across the world, accountable to the people.

Furthermore, CASER calls on all the Embassies, High Commissions and Foreign Missions in Nigeria to immediately begin to compile the names of the family members of Governor Umahi  and ensure that they are also issued travel ban for life, whenever again the world comes to normal. 

This action of the Ebonyi state government should not be forgotten quickly. It must remain as a permanent witness against Governor Umahi for life, unless he reverses himself this moment with full speed

CASER also calls on the Committee for the Protection of Journalist (CPJ), journalists everywhere, including the ones in Ebonyi state to help in the compilation of the names of the family members of these abusive government officials from Ebony State. They must be taught a serious lesson in reprisal in order to restrain them from continuing on this unprogressive path that is antithetical to democracy and inimical to the promotion of national and international peace and development.

This barbarous act by the Ebonyi State Government against journalists must be resisted locally and globally.

Frank Tietie

Executive Director

Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER)

Coronavirus: The media is also on the frontlines* by Eugenia Abu

For years as an active Broadcast Journalist, I hardly got time off and was on duty back to back as the news never ends. This state of things was daunting for my family and pretty stressful for me. While people took breaks at weekends, I would be on duty on a fine Sunday morning. 

The profession had chosen me and I had also chosen it. This kind of schedule that I had meant that during many Christmas holidays I was either on an editorial team at work or I was in fact producer of the leading NTA network news at nine or I was a newsreader or in some circumstances all of the above. And these were mostly during normal times. 

The stress would become heightened in difficult circumstances and one could remain in the newsroom for three days running if the situation was serious and would not even go home. It’s a tough field. The public wanted information and depended on you for it. Your job was not to disappoint them.

With the Coronavirus pandemic up in the air worldwide with no vaccine and no end in sight, the public is glued to their Televisions, newspapers and Radios to get authentic information about what in fact was going on. The media has become where everyone is swimming now to get their voices heard above the din of politics, fights, disagreements between world leaders and the frustration of health organisations worldwide.

 All of this in the face of grim stories of death and ailments. For the reporter and those gathered in the newsroom day in day out, it can be suffocating and overwhelming. Journalists are first of all human beings and in the face of overwhelming ceaseless bad news, they can suffer anxiety attacks and depression being so close to the stories and having to cover them. It is reported that many newsreaders and reporters who covered the 9/11 tragedy in the United States ended up with mental health challenges especially those who were directly involved in the coverage. So much research is out there to prove that indeed this is the case.

With Coronavirus spreading at such an unbelievable rate and being so contagious, media persons report other persons and have no one to talk about their own stress. In the middle of all of this, they must continue to bring you statistics, updates and coverages non-stop. As one who has walked their path and still does, I can speak for my colleagues worldwide and know that they are on the frontline and are committed to bringing the stories for as long as it takes. Together with health workers everywhere in the world, they are battling the virus as best as they can. While the health workers are working with patients in hospital and doing their very best everywhere, the journalist is bringing us the efforts of the health workers, breakthrough in science and general information and stories of hope.

Mid-march I spoke to my Editor, Amina Alhassan at the Trust newspapers and she was tired and already stressed out. Why are you sounding like that, I asked her? Work is overwhelming, she said. I know I told her. You need to breathe and take snatches of breaks whenever you can find one. No one knew how devastating this was going to be. And here we are.

With Coronavirus spreading at such an unbelievable rate and being so contagious, media persons report other persons and have no one to talk about their own stress. In the middle of all of this, they must continue to bring you statistics, updates and coverages non-stop

 An American Newsreader from MSNBC broke down when she announced the death of a colleague from Coronavirus. Rob Osbourne, a news correspondent from ITV writes that “This is a marathon, we are in it for the long haul.” BBC in the meantime says they will continue to provide support for their staff by providing structures to keep them covering the Pandemic for as long as they can.

That support is what employers need to provide across board across countries for media workers and journalists who have to continuously bring us the stories, the policies, the updates and the statistics. Media owners should protect their staff and insure them. They should also give palliatives, bonuses and provisions to make their jobs easier. Journalists must also learn to take breaks and breathe and structures must not keep the same person exposed to this information for long without giving them short breaks to allow them refuel. Journalists also have families and the work they do and their absence from home can affect their families and put them under pressure. Journalist are advised to speak to loved ones as often as they can, try to get enough sleep and eat healthy.

Let’s think about journalists and media persons on the frontline. They need our prayers and our support. They are also heroes in these uncertain times.

I salute all our health workers worldwide who are doing amazing work. But I would also like us to raise our hands up for another set of persons in the frontline. Without the media we would never have known of the world war veteran in the UK, 99-year-old Captain Tom Moore who has raised Millions of pounds for NHS charities to help with the treatment of Coronavirus in the United Kingdom

Salute to the Media and the workers therein worldwide. Cameramen, editors, reporters, editorial staff, writers, columnists, newsreaders and their management. 

Hands up for the Media! Our prayers are with you all.

EUGENIA ABU

109 Years old Mother of Nigeria's Minister Of Education, Hajiya Fatima Adamu Baaba Dies in Bauchi state

109 year old mother of Nigeria's minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu, Hajiya Fatima Adamu Baaba has died

The minister who confirmed the death of his mother in a statement signed by the director, press minister of Education, Ben Goong said she died in the early ours of friday

The statement said Burial has taken place at Azare, in Azare Local Government area of Bauchi state, in accordance with Muslim rights. 

Hajiya Fatima Adamu Baaba was aged 109 and survived by six children, three males and three females, including the minister of Education Adamu Adamu.

ABBA Kyari: ENDORSED AT DEATH...still the doubts linger. By Chukwudi Okolie-ugbaja, Abuja-based freelance Journalist

The publicity which Mallam Abba Kyari shunned while he was alive would seem to have been dished out to him at death by two political heavyweights....President Mohammadu Buhari and Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama. Buhari's tribute to Kyari remains one of the most intimate I have listened to for as long as I can remember. In Kyari, Buhari found a friend and a loyal cabinet member and made it clear that their acquaintance with each other dated back some 42 years. He would miss a man who had become his 'de facto' second-in-command. 

The Foreign Affairs Minister would later go on Channels TV to talk about a man who though a Muslim, was his best man at a Christian wedding he vividly recalled.

Their days at Warrick University were clearly a fond memory for a sober Onyeama who portrayed Kyari as self-effacing and clearly misunderstood by many. The Foreign Affairs Minister recalled how he was so moved by insinuations of underhand dealings by Kyari in the MTN fine saga that he approached his 'friend' of 43 years for an explanation.

Onyeama said Kyari denied any interest or gain in the matter and showed him documents to support his claims.

Put the accounts by Buhari and Onyeama about Kyari together and you'll end up scratching your head concerning  the ugly image a good chunk of the Nigerian public had reserved for the late Chief of Staff. 

As a communications teacher and student there are points that need to be made about the Kyari phenomenon.

The man was clearly an enigma who smiled only when it was absolutely necessary. He wielded power no doubt, but what pundits will ponder in future analyses is whether powerful Kyari was more powerful in his loyalty to President Mohammadu Buhari to the point of quietly taking bullets meant for the Nigerian leader or was merely living a life that shunned adulation and photo opportunity in pursuit of more meaningful national assignments.

Kyari did have a little public spat with a former Head of Service and the reported sack of a Kano state commissioner for 'celebrating' his death in a tweet was somewhat, eye-opening. The National  Security Adviser also reportedy kicked against Kyari's 'dabbling' in security matters.

But if the President had expressly told whoever wanted to see him to always go through Kyari, it followed that the late Chief of Staff had influence in virtually every sphere of the Nigerian life.

Kyari was taciturn, publicity-shy but coolly efficient.

If dead men do think, he might now be wondering whom all the posthumous rants and noise are for!

But then, he would remember that he lived in a country known for chasing shadows while substance jeered from the background.

Abba Kyari was silent in his lifetime. 

The silence from his grave can only be super and final!

Dead men don't bite but sometimes they leave behind arguments that taunt the mental processes of those who cling to life!

If you ask me, I think that the late Chief of Staff had quite a few things to explain in 'Nigeria And Me'.

But that would be a morbid publication.

Mortal eyes don't read from dead men!

So, maybe we should just let Abba Kyari go to his final sleep!

Chukwudi Okolie-Ugbaja is an Abuja-based freelancer.