19 November 2008
Lagos — Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called on those it called 'overzealous security agents from the State Security Services (SSS) and the Nigeria Police' to leave the editors of Leadership newspaper alone, saying the on-going harassment of the editors can only damage the reputation of the Federal Government.
A statement signed by NGE president, Gbenga Adefaye, yesterday said the continued harrassment of the editors is an attempt "at crippling the publishing business of the proprietors of Leadership newspaper and send the journalists back to the saturated and cruel labour market."
While condemning in strong terms what it called the crude acts of intimidation by the security agencies, the Guild said it suspects that the agencies are over reaching themselves at the expense of the President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua whose regime is already being accused of hyper sensitivity and over reaction to media infractions.
This, it said, is coming so soon after the fiasco of Channels TV closure plus the arrest and detention of some online publishers over the same issue of the President's health.
The Guild said further in the statement: "Leadership newspaper erred and the error was duly pointed out to the editors by Olusegun Adeniyi, Presidential Special Adviser on Media. He even said that the President would waive his immunity to contest the integrity of Leadership newspaper in court, even if it means thePresident taking a risk of having his medical records subpoenaed by our law courts which have demonstrated courage and independence, so far".
"Leadership editors, without prejudice to the President's resort to court processes, admitted faults and apologized to the President.There can be no worse indictment and punishment in a business wheretrust by the discerning, reading public is the most important successfactor."But the SSS and police would have none of that: they have resorted tothe crude Gestapo tactics of old, arresting and quizzing the editors endlessly, in an effort to overawe the editors, make them loseconcentration and even re-dedicate themselves to more trusting journalism practice."Both the SSS and the Police have not concerned themselves with President Yar'Adua's quest for a truthful and fact-based journalismpractice which a court process is meant to achieve. The two security agencies have burdened themselves with ONLY one line of questioning: who wrote the offending story and what his motive was. That was the reason why they forcibly entered the Leadership newspaper business premises and carted away its computers."
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