The Daily IIJ

The tension at the presidential villa Tuesday (September 16, 2008) afternoon following a false report that President Umaru Yar’Adua might resign because of ill-health after cabinet reshuffle could be cut through with a knife.

Though everybody, presidential staff, aides, security personnel and the journalists had tried to make light the matter but at the end of the day, the movement of the Minister of Information and Communication, Mr. John Odey, some top politicians including the governors from the President’s party (Peoples Democratic Party), it was clear it was not a joking matter.

Someone had decided to use the News Agency of Nigeria (government owned wire service) to play a dirty trick on Nigerians capitalising on the President’s ill-health which has been a hush-hush fair at the end of which, some editors are in detention while a private television known for its unique style of reading news (you could refer to it as the Al-Jazeera of Nigeria) - Channels TV licence has been revoked.

The President’s Spokesman, Olusegun Adeniyi had earlier in the day described the story as “absolute rubbish”.

The mischief maker had circulated the news via email to selective few media houses like the to Comet, Vanguard, nanshep@yahoo.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , mosetu33@tahoo.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , AIT, Pointer, FRCN, Abujanews, USIS Abidjan, dsessocietynews@yahoo.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ,  Cross River Radio, didnov@yahoo.com.

The flash news, had emanated from the “Newsagency Nigeria” with the e-mail address newsagencynig@yahoo.com., announcing that “President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua may resign after carbinate (cabinet) reshuffle, on health ground”.This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The local and international broadcast media had quickly picked up the story and broadcast it to the whole world.

Managing Director of NAN, Mrs. Oluremi Oyo, in a swift reaction had declared in a statement that the agency had nothing to do with the story. “The e-mail address is not that of NAN. The poor grammar, as indicated in the wrong spelling of “cabinet” could not have been that of NAN.

“The agency vehemently disowns the story in its entirety and will not have anything to do with speculative or unfounded reports,” blaming some mischief makers, bent on using the NAN platform, for the email.

Oyo had advised its valued subscribers to ignore such unpatriotic stories and to confirm from the agency, in future, “if any such stories are sent by mischief makers”.

Apparently to forestall the use of web-based e-mails addresses to spread rumours in its name, NAN Tuesday sent e-mails to media houses to announce the authentic e-mail addresses of the agency.

The mail, signed by Alli Hakeem, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Abuja Metropolitan Desk, read: “Dear esteemed subscribers, With effect from today, September 16, 2008, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has rested the following e-mail  addresses: nanabujahq@gmail.com and nancommunication@gmail.com to send its news items.
“NAN will no longer use any yahoo, or gmail, or hotmail.com address from this moment on. The only authentic address NAN will be using from now on is: newsroom@nannewsngr.com, repeat: newsroom@nannewsngr.com.

“This has become necessary to ensure that NAN news items can be readily identified as opposed to those sent to you by mischief makers.

 “We use this medium to let you know that NAN will  not have anything to do with any story from addresses other than newsroom@nannewsngr.com”
Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Adeniyi, said following inquiries that came in the wake of the report, the President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua “has no intention of resigning from office”.

Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, had emphatically denied the rumour, saying it was the handiwork of those who do not wish Nigeria well.

He President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua “has no intention of resigning from office”.
Adeniyi said: “The Presidency wishes to affirm that there is no truth whatsoever to the suggestion that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua is contemplating resignation from office.
“Since NAN itself has categorically denied being the source of the report that the President may resign, it can only be assumed that the report is the handiwork of persons who do not wish the country well.

“For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, President Yar’Adua has no intention of abandoning the mandate given to him to lead Nigeria further along the path to restoration, growth and development.

“He will therefore continue to discharge his responsibilities to the best of his abilities.
“I urge my colleagues in the media to be much more alert to the antics of persons and groups who have now made it their business to spread baseless rumours and untruths about the President in furtherance of their selfish schemes and ambitions.
“The doors of the administration remain open to the media at all times and practitioners are welcome to cross-check the veracity of any dubious report before publication,” he said.

The State Security Service which had Tuesday taken over Channels TV office had explained why it shut down its the Lagos and Abuja offices, saying it carried “a certain false news story that is against the well-being of Nigerians”.

An SSS official had disclosed that the editor of the TV station had been invited to explain how they got the story but was yet to show up as at the time the paper called to get the SSS side of the story. 

It was reported that the SSS had also invaded the premises of NAN in a commando style, allegedly seizing all the security men at both premises and beat up those who insisted they must identify themselves.

But by this evening, the National Broadcasting Commission has revoked the licence of Channels Television.

In a statement signed by the Director-General, Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa, NBC said the revocation was in consonance with the provisions of paragraph 8(d) of the Third Schedule of the NBC Act No. 38 of 1992 (as amended) and paragraph 13.3.3.1(g) of the National Broadcasting Commission Code.

The statement reads:

“The National Broadcasting Commission in consonance with the provisions of paragraph 8(d) of the Third Schedule of the NBC Act No. 38 of 1992 (as amended) and paragraph 13.3.3.1(g) of the National Broadcasting Commission Code, which states:

“A licence may be revoked by the Commission in the following cases that is: - where in the opinion of the Commission, the station has been used in a manner detrimental to national interest…

“The Commission shall revoke a licence where a broadcast station commits any of the under-listed offences: - where the licensee broadcasts information immediately leading, or likely to lead, to a breakdown of law and order in the country.

“In furtherance to the above, following the News Broadcast of 2.00 p.m. on the 16^th of September 2008 by Channels Television, the National Broadcasting Commission hereby invokes the law and suspends with immediate effect the operations of Channels Television in all locations in Nigeria.

This action is without prejudice to any further action that may be taken by the National Broadcasting Commission as investigation is on going” the DG said.

As would be expected many human rights activist have reacted condemning the action of government. International Press Centre describes the action as “highly repressive and anti-democratic, anti-press freedom, anti-freedom of expression measure
”IPC holds that it is a complete negation of the government’s so-called rule of law and a certain throw back to the military dictatorial era.

IPC further holds that the ultimate aim of this attack is to silence the independent and private media. We demand that it should be immediately reversed”.

But the question on everybody’s lips is that why is NAN’s licence not being revoked considering the fact that this is the second time similar incident is happening. Why would NAN resort to sending emails using gmail or a yahoo account when it has a machine meant for that purpose? Who really is behind this and what is the motive of creating tension in the land? NAN is a government’s wire service that every media house in Nigeria relies on. It is the Reuters and AFP of Nigeria, which made those who picked the news flash (AFP and BBC inclusive) to do so in the first place.

In as much as many journalists are saying, the guilty party here (Channels TV) should have put across to the MD of NAN being in mind she once headed the Nigeria Guild of Editors and the immediate past spokeswoman to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, many still insist it was not a deliberate act by Channels TV hence and should not be punished.  

We wait and see where this leads us.