The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has rejected in strong voice an attempt by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to trample on media rights in the country and usurp the powers of the National Assembly (NASS) under the guess of ‘Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries,’ reports ITREALMS.
GOCOP also advised NITDA to immediately jettison this code in its entirety or be ready to face legal action.
GOCOP, ITREALMS
recalls is a body of online publishing organizations, run by professional
journalists with backgrounds in broadcasting, print and new media that are
self-regulating professional body and subscribes to the ethics of the
journalism profession which hold facts, truth, fairness and balanced reporting
as sacred in the discharge of our duties.
According to GOCOP’s President and Secretary-General, Ms
Maureen Chigbo and Mr. Collins Edomaruse in a press statement available to ITREALMS, the group prides itself as a
body of professionals with structures in place for effective peer review and
regulation of its members, including several committees including the
Disciplinary Committee/Ombudsman, which has the sole responsibility of checking
the excesses of the Guild's members and affords the public an avenue to seek
redress in case of unprofessional conduct by any of our members.
This, they said, showed GOCOP as a body of online journalists
who take its responsibility of self-regulation very seriously, just as the
GOCOP is also fully guided by relevant statutes which govern other stakeholders
in the Nigerian media, including the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and
the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE); both of which some of us are members.
“We state categorically that our practice and profession
draw legitimacy, powers and rights from Sections 22 and 39 of the Constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended in 2011. Specifically, Sections
22 of the Constitution cede to GOCOP members the privilege to “at all times be
free to uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the
people.”
GOCOP observed with concern that the recent "Code of
Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet
Intermediaries" issued by the National Information Technology Development
Agency, NITDA in alignment with some "Authorised Government Agency"
namely the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Broadcasting
Commission (NBC), or any supposed agency authorized; has continued to generate
controversy and censure from media stakeholders and civil society organisations
(CSOs).
The group pointed out that the largely christened ‘NITDA
Code’ lists its objectives to include inter alia: “set out measures to combat
online harms such as disinformation and misinformation” as well as seeks to
“Adopt and apply a co-regulatory approach towards implementation and
compliance.”
GOCOP expressed worry over NITDA Code and described its
prescriptions as “toxic, undemocratic and a clear affront on free speech and
civil liberties which the media promotes.”
They emphasized that this is a Constitutional responsibility
which will not for any reason whatsoever, be abdicated under the weight and
encumbrance of the NITDA Practice Code.
“We restate that this Code is unknown to the Constitution
and against the principles of free press, free speech and civil liberties as enshrined
therein. Nigeria is a democracy, and in a democracy, it is the duty of the
National Assembly to make laws for the promotion of good governance.
“While it is the duty of National Assembly to make laws, it
is also the responsibility of the Judiciary to interpret the laws while the
Executive is saddled with execution of the laws and allied issues of
leadership. Therefore, NITDA, an Executive agency, by issuing a Practice Code
to regulate the media, has clearly over-reached itself and cannot be allowed to
surreptitiously usurp the powers of the National Assembly.
“The provisions and prescriptions of the Code are largely
undemocratic, primitive, anti-press freedom and they seek to promote anarchy
and perpetrate a culture of silence across all media platforms for as long as
information is conveyed, transmitted or disseminated via the Internet using
computers or any electronic device including handhelds. It seeks to deny
journalists, especially GOCOP members whose duties are carried out via
internet-enabled devices, the right and privilege to source and disseminate
information, and hold government accountable as enshrined in the Constitution.
“The Code is an attempt to take away the powers which the
Constitution has guaranteed the press. In effect, the Code is an aberrant
intruder into the field of Journalism which NITDA has no legal powers to
regulate,” the group said.
GOCOP reiterated that it has put in place structures for
effective peer review and regulation of its members through its Disciplinary Committee/Ombudsman,
which has the sole responsibility of checking the excesses of the Guild's
members and members of the public can approach it to seek redress in case of
unprofessional conduct by our members.
“This shows that GOCOP as a body of online journalists takes
its responsibility of self-regulation very seriously,” the president and secretary
were quoted as saying, insisting its yet another attempt by the Federal Government
to gag the media and suppress press freedom in general.
They said the Code as fresh desperation move by FG to muzzle
free press, recalling previous attempts had failed in its desperation to enact
anti-free press laws including the Protection from Internet Falsehoods and
Manipulation and Other Related Matters Bill, 2019, commonly known as Social
Media Bill.
GOCOP equally reminded this APC government led by General
Muhammadu Buhari retired, that it rode to power on the crest of free press,
especially as it took advantage of the social media, which it now wants to
render prostrate.
“GOCOP strongly rejects the NITDA Practice Code in its
entirety. It is a baseless affront on the Constitutional powers vested in the
media,” they declared.
And urged the federal government to jettison the NITDA Code
and rely on existing regulations such as the Cybercrime Act, Laws of
Defamation, Libel and Privacy to protect itself and citizens against any
perceived unprofessional journalistic conduct.
“We, therefore, advise NITDA to jettison this code in its entirety or ready to face legal action. We called on the National Assembly to call NITDA to order on its ill-advised move to usurp the powers of the Legislature,” the Guild maintained.
No comments:
Post a Comment