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NUJ, NADECO, IPOB back Punch’s decision to prefix Buhari’s name with Maj. Gen.

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The Nigeria Union of Journalists [NUJ] on Thursday threw its weight behind the editorial of The PUNCH Newspapers entitled, “Buhari’s lawlessness: Our stand,” saying it was not done in bad faith.

The newspaper had condemned the alleged violation of human rights by the regime of  the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), including the invasion of a courtroom to re-arrest the publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, by operatives of the Department of State Services.

Also, the General Secretary of frontline pro-democracy group, National Democratic Coalition [NADECO], Chief Ayo Opadokun, said  Buhari had failed to transform from a military dictator to a democrat.

The NUJ in a statement by its National Secretary, Shuaibu Usman Leman, said, “The media must be allowed to carry out such responsibilities by insisting on good governance.

“The NUJ believes the front page comment of The PUNCH of Wednesday, December 11, 2019 which assessed President Muhammadu Buhari and his leadership style was not done in bad faith, but should rather be seen as an attempt to hold government accountable as enshrined in chapter 2, section 22 of the Nigerian constitution.

“While some may not necessarily support the choice of language used in the editorial, we are quick to note that this should not be enough excuse to accuse The PUNCH of habouring ulterior motives.

“It is our contention that the media must be allowed to carry out such responsibilities by insisting on good governance which include among others, rule of law, transparency, equity and inclusiveness and accountability. Anything short of these may not augur well for our democracy.”

Opadokun, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday, noted that the re-arrest of Sowore in court in Gestapo manner was reminiscent of the regime of the late maximum ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha.

Opadokun stated, “

We have human rights abuses in very embarrassing dimensions. What one never expected to be happening today is happening. I thought having laid down our lives, lost blood, liberty and even helped restore democracy in Nigeria; we thought these things would never happen again in Nigeria particularly this one of Sowore.

“It is a great embarrassment. It makes one look so unfortunate. Having wasted his time, wasted his life opportunity to serve the Nigerian people. Yet, those who captured power and were never part of the struggle who never knew where the shoe pinched, are messing up the entire system. It is unfortunate.”

The NADECO chieftain commended The PUNCH for its editorial which was published on December 11, 2019.

He recalled that The PUNCH was among the few newspapers that fought against military dictatorship and stayed in the trenches with activists during the June 12 struggle.

Responding to a claim by an All Progressives Congress chieftain and fellow guest at the programme, Segun Oshinuga, that The PUNCH was aggrieved over the victory of Buhari in the last election, Opadokun said,

“I give kudos, I give credit very expressively to the Nigerian media.

“They fought a satanic battle. The Nigerian media ought to be celebrated because for all the struggles we suffered, if they were not reported and if they did not suffer same…they went into guerrilla journalism even to report the activities of the pro-democracy groups.

“The PUNCH, that he is now abusing, and others went into guerrilla journalism to report the military dictatorship that we had. So, these kind of characters are not speaking for government but for their pocket.”

However, Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, criticised the decision of the newspaper to prefix Buhari’s name with his military rank.

Bello spoke with State House Correspondents in Abuja after a meeting with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

Responding to a question, he said,

“Mr President is the most democratic President I have ever seen.

“This is the first time we are seeing a former military Head of State that is so democratic to the extent of allowing things happening in his home front to be democratised, not to talk of things happening in the country.

“Whoever is tagging him to be a dictator, I think that person wish to be a dictator himself not Mr President.”

But the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful,  said The  PUNCH editorial merely confirmed the views of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu’s on the Buhari regime. Although the group commended PUNCH for the editorial, it argued that the newspaper’s stand was belated.

The group said,

“In December 11, 2019, The  PUNCH newspaper took a tough and admirable editorial position against what it called ‘autocracy and military-style repression’ and ‘insufferable contempt for the rule of law’ of the cabal that is ruling in the name of Buhari. We commend The PUNCH for this courageous act.

“The Punch’s editorial shows that what Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been saying about the complicity and docility of the so-called Yoruba media in this era of Fulani impunity is beginning to sink in. We can only hope that the editorial board of Punch will stay the course.”

The Punch

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