In what observers have described as “portents of a dangerous phase,”
President Goodluck Jonathan has bared his fangs against the media by
unleashing the police on LEADERSHIP over a recent exclusive story on a
“presidential directive” targeting the opposition and containing plans
to raise petrol prices, among other things.
Between Wednesday when the newspaper first published the story and yesterday, police officers have visited the newspaper’s head office in Abuja three times, demanding to see the journalists who wrote the story.
The psychological siege climaxed yesterday with a summons to the newspaper to appear at Force Headquarters in Abuja this morning.
“It is an irony that Jonathan who, as vice president, benefitted from this newspaper’s principled stand when the cabal under President Umaru Yar’Adua tried to block him from assuming power, is now using the same discredited rulebook to intimidate the press. This strong arm tactics will not work,” a media observer said yesterday.
In a letter dated April 7, 2013 of CR:3000/X/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.49/34 and signed by one Danlami Mohammed, a deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Administration, entitled: “Investigation Activities Police Invitation”, the police authorities summoned the trio of our group news editor Tony Amokeodo and two correspondents, Chibuzor Ukaibe and Taiwo Ogunmola-Omilani, to report to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police ‘D’ Department today over the said story.
The letter was addressed to the chairman, LEADERSHIP Group Limited.
The letter reads in part: “This office is investigating the circumstances leading to your Front Page publication entitled, “Outrage Trails Presidential Directive On Tinubu, APC” and a sub-title captioned
‘Bromide of the Presidential Directive.’ Based on our fact finding efforts, you are hereby requested to release the above mentioned reporters to interview the Deputy Inspector General of Police ‘D’ Department (FCID) on Monday, 8th April, 2013 at 1000hours.”
In the presidential directive, dated March 26, 2013, and exclusively published by LEADERSHIP, Jonathan had hinted at plans to target the business interests of the ACN national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and to frustrate the merger of the opposition parties at all costs.
He had said in the directive that petrol prices would be increased from the present N97 per litre to between N130 and N140, but that public opinion should first be gauged on the matter.
In response to rapid-fire denials by presidential spokesmen, Dr. Doyin Okupe and Dr. Reuben Abati, LEADERSHIP said it stood by its story and would not be intimidated by Jonathan’s attempt to curb press freedom.
Between Wednesday when the newspaper first published the story and yesterday, police officers have visited the newspaper’s head office in Abuja three times, demanding to see the journalists who wrote the story.
The psychological siege climaxed yesterday with a summons to the newspaper to appear at Force Headquarters in Abuja this morning.
“It is an irony that Jonathan who, as vice president, benefitted from this newspaper’s principled stand when the cabal under President Umaru Yar’Adua tried to block him from assuming power, is now using the same discredited rulebook to intimidate the press. This strong arm tactics will not work,” a media observer said yesterday.
In a letter dated April 7, 2013 of CR:3000/X/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.49/34 and signed by one Danlami Mohammed, a deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Administration, entitled: “Investigation Activities Police Invitation”, the police authorities summoned the trio of our group news editor Tony Amokeodo and two correspondents, Chibuzor Ukaibe and Taiwo Ogunmola-Omilani, to report to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police ‘D’ Department today over the said story.
The letter was addressed to the chairman, LEADERSHIP Group Limited.
The letter reads in part: “This office is investigating the circumstances leading to your Front Page publication entitled, “Outrage Trails Presidential Directive On Tinubu, APC” and a sub-title captioned
‘Bromide of the Presidential Directive.’ Based on our fact finding efforts, you are hereby requested to release the above mentioned reporters to interview the Deputy Inspector General of Police ‘D’ Department (FCID) on Monday, 8th April, 2013 at 1000hours.”
In the presidential directive, dated March 26, 2013, and exclusively published by LEADERSHIP, Jonathan had hinted at plans to target the business interests of the ACN national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and to frustrate the merger of the opposition parties at all costs.
He had said in the directive that petrol prices would be increased from the present N97 per litre to between N130 and N140, but that public opinion should first be gauged on the matter.
In response to rapid-fire denials by presidential spokesmen, Dr. Doyin Okupe and Dr. Reuben Abati, LEADERSHIP said it stood by its story and would not be intimidated by Jonathan’s attempt to curb press freedom.
