The
Federal Government said it has not put a single journalist behind bars as a
result of his or her professional conduct in the two years of the President
Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
It
also restated its commitment to upholding the freedom of the press in the
country.
Minister
of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed gave the assurance yesterday in
a statement issued to newsmen by his media assistant, Segun Adeyemi to mark the
World Press Freedom Day 2017.
He
described as inaccurate the recent survey by Reporters Without Borders, “which
alleged that Nigeria’s press freedom rating has been on sustained decline since
2015”.
The
minister promised that the Federal Government was determined to uphold the
tenants of democracy, which including freedom of speech adding that the recent
incident involving The Punch Correspondent covering the State House was an
aberration.
Alhaji
Mohammed added that the speed with which the order barring the correspondent
from the State House was reversed has lent credence to the fact that government
was not out to muzzle the press.
He
therefore pledged the readiness to this administration to always create a
conducive environment for the media to thrive and to continue to discharge its
constitutional mandate without hindrance
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