MAN IN THE NEWS: Umar Bago, the farmer governor always making the wrong headlines

Bago

When Umar Bago, governor of Niger state, ordered the closure of Badeggi 90.1 FM on July 31, he triggered a wave of outrage.

The station based in Minna, the state capital, was accused of airing content allegedly inciting violence.

Bologi Ibrahim, the chief press secretary to the governor, said the “daily activities of the radio station have been unethical”.

The governor also directed that the licence of the radio station be revoked.

‘ASSAULT ON PRESS FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY’

Civil society organisations (CSOs) and press unions described the move as a “dangerous assault on press freedom”.

Amnesty International said the development was unlawful, saying that only the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has the legal authority to sanction broadcast stations.

“It is an abuse of power and an unacceptable display of intolerance towards critical voices,” Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International’s Nigeria director, said.

The human rights organisation said the decision of the governor represents an abuse of power.

“While bandits and insurgents are ravaging the Niger state through killings and massive displacements of rural communities, with both the Federal Government and Niger State failing to protect lives, pointing accusing fingers at a radio station clearly shows a failure of leadership,” Sanusi said.

“Attacking Badeggi 90.1 FM is part of a wider pattern of attempts to create climate of fear across newsrooms in Nigeria and to make it harder for journalists to do their job.

“Targeting independent media is solely aimed at depriving the people of the opportunity to receive fair and objective reporting of issues affecting their lives.”

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) also condemned Bago’s order, branding it “a threat to democracy”.

Citing section 39 of the 1999 Constitution and article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the guild said freedom of expression and press freedom are constitutionally protected rights in Nigeria.

“Arbitrary closure of media houses reminds us of the dark days of military rule, which ended 26 years ago,” the editors warned.

RADIO MANAGEMENT KICKSAbubakar Shuaib, operations director of Badeggi FM, said the state government’s grievances should have been filed with the NBC. Thecable