Mischief- makers and overzealous security agents were at work this Tuesday. The former used a fake email address of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to announce the likely resignation of President Yar'Adua "after a carbinet (sic) reshuffle" yesterday.
The international news agency, Agence France Presse (AFP), quoted the "news flash" from "NAN", and Channels Television quickly relayed the "news". Within minutes, men of the State Security Service (SSS) invaded the offices of the private TV station in Lagos and Abuja, ransacked the Abuja office of NAN and seized journalists from both news organisations.
Like the Nigeria Union of Journalists and the Nigerian Guild of Editors, we are stunned by the actions of supposed agents of the law that take the path of lawlessness each time a media house is perceived to have erred. What happened to the rule of law that the current DG of the SSS, Hafaz Gadzama, like the president, pledged to abide by? Why did the SSS not first shut down AFP and then trace the original source of the "news"? The SSS is clearly obeying the rule of the jungle. And President Yar'Adua should swiftly call its officials to order.
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Finally, the Leadership newspaper got it right on the sacrosanct function of the 4th arm of the realm - the media - to check the excesses of the other three arms, namely the Presidency, Legislature and Judiciary on behalf of the people (the Boss in any democractic setting). It is sad that a civilian administration that predicated all its future plans of the country on the idea of the Rule of Law to so flagrantly abuse the very essence of democracy - a bad precedent that even the military regimes, in its dying days refrain from messing with the messenger (the Press). Perhaps because we are new to this new ball game of Presidential system that: (1) the Public (need to be educated about their rights and the limit of such rights), (2) the 3 arms of government (to legislate, implement and adjudge on behalf of the Public) (3) the media to act as the arbiter on behalf of the Public and to inform both items #1 Public and #2 Govt, above. Hopefully, our learning curve is not too steep that we'll be able to pick up the game relatively quickly. We hope the NBC release the TV station's license immediately and follow the laid down rules of the game of checks and balances so that this distraction does not take time and effort away from the more urgent Niger Delta crisis which is more significant if the President wants to achive any of his 7-point agenda - he better start Listening the Voice of the People because that is the Voice of your God and promise them that he will not do such flagrant abuse of power again lest he gets the wrath of the people.