Imo Assembly Bans Journalists From Covering Functions

OGBONNA IWUAGWU

The Imo State House of Assembly has commenced the process of restricting media practitioners especially members of the Correspondents Chapel of the NUJ in the state, from covering the activities of the law making body.

P.M.EXPRESS correspondent reports that the action of the House was a fall out of a compulsory accreditation exercise being carried out for all serving journalists in the state but which was not communicated to the correspondents of National Newspapers, Radio, and Television Networks.

However, in a letter jointly signed by the chairman and secretary of the Chapel, Steve Uzoechi and Damian Duruiheoma, entitled  “Ban On Correspondents Of National Newspapers, Radio And TV Networks From Covering Imo House Of Assembly” which was addressed to the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins, the correspondents regretted that at a time when the executive arm of the Government is signing up to Open Government Partnership (OGP), the state legislature only resorted to restricting newsmen, limiting their access to information and rendering the activities of the Assembly opaque.

They reminded the Speaker of the essence of the Government (OGP), which is to entrench transparency and main streaming, accountability in governance, warning that it would backfire if journalists are barred from the Assembly and denied access to information.

The letter reads in part “Mr. Speaker, since this untoward action, our members, who come to the Assembly Complex with their valid identity cards have severally been embarrassed and harassed by the security personnel attached to the House of Assembly on the instruction of the leadership of the Assembly”.

“We view this action as a dangerous precedent and if steps are not taken to redress it; we are afraid the legislature under you might be viewed as undermining free press and of course, the very norms and essence of constitutional democracy which it pledged to uphold.”

“Furthermore Mr. Speaker, it would seem unfortunate that at a time when the executive arm of the state government is signing up to Open Government Partnership (OGP) the state legislature is making an attempt to restrict the press, limit our access to information and render the activities of the Assembly opaque.”

“The core essence of OGP, which this government has signed up to, is entrenching transparency and mainstreaming accountability in governance and these cannot be the sincere intentions of this government if journalists are barred from the State Assembly and denied access to information.”

“This restrictive policy, if sustained, would be an unfortunate reminder of the dark days of Nigeria’s repressive juntas.”

“With a deep sense of duty and respect, we wish to state that the House of Assembly cannot afford to have correspondents reporting its activities from outside.”

“We state also that not even under any of the military administrators that ruled the state was the House of Assembly regimented to the extent of restricting or barring practicing journalists from its activities.”

“All the more, the Imo State House of Assembly is not a security facility but an estate of the people of Imo state whose right it is to know what goes on in the Assembly Complex per time, through the instrumentality of practicing journalists. Hence, denying the correspondents access would be tantamount to denying the people access to their parliament.”

“Your duties as legislators should not infringe on our duties as journalists and the watchdog of society. One cannot arbitrarily shut down the other.”

“Therefore, we request that, like it is done at the National Assembly and other state houses of assembly, correspondents in Imo State be given unrestricted access to cover the activities of the Imo State House of Assembly because we are major stakeholders in the Imo project.”

“We also request that no correspondent with a valid identity card should be barred from covering the activities of the House of Assembly on the excuse that he is not accredited to cover them.”

“Our point here is that the House of Assembly is not the only beat we cover as state Correspondents and if we endorse this regimentation, every agency and local authority in the state will want to commence accreditation of journalists.”

“This, in the long run may create the avenue for subtle coercion of some journalists into reporting at the pleasure of these agencies, for fear of losing the said accreditation. This diminishes our practice.”

“Against this backdrop Mr. Speaker, we urge you to kindly review this policy.”

“Finally, the leadership of the chapel will be pleased to further discuss this issue, in audience, with Mr. Speaker on any day of your choice within the week” they concluded.