Mary Atolagbe, General Secretary of NGE, noted that the guidelines also negate the constitutional principle of freedom of expression and is contrary to the African Charter on fundamental rights and the right of the people to know.
The Nigerian Guild of Editors has branded as “draconian, vexatious and disrespectful” the new accreditation guidelines for media houses that wish to cover activities of the National Assembly.
The National Assembly had asked that any media organization wishing to be accredited for NASS activities should “submit a copy of its income tax return for the last two years, presentation of evidence of certificate of incorporation of the media organization, evidence of membership of professional bodies for the journalists, maintenance of a functional Bureau in Abuja (staff strength not less than five editorial staff) and daily circulation of 40,000 copies for the print media with evidence to support the claimed circulation figure”
Rejecting the criteria, the Editors body stated that the move is a scurrilous attempt to gag the press while avowing that the decision cannot stand.
Mary Atolagbe, General Secretary of NGE, in a statement noted that the guidelines also negate the constitutional principle of freedom of expression and is contrary to the African Charter on fundamental rights and the right of the people to know.
Atolagbe said, “These guidelines run contrary to the grains of reason, democratic ideals and they are a clear affront on the letter and spirit of the Nigerian constitution which empowers journalists to freely practice their profession without any gag, muzzling and restriction.”
Atolagbe also asserted that the guidelines issued by the NGE would serve no public good but only the myopic interest of its chroniclers.
She said that the NGE outrightly reject the criteria while urging all media houses to rise up and rebuff the “medieval intrusion into the media space” in a democratic country like Nigeria where the “media doggedly fought for and for which some journalists paid the supreme price.”
The guidelines issued by the authority of the NASS is due to become effective from June 11 2019.