The Federal Government
will not do anything to stifle press freedom, because it is keenly aware
that a free press is vital to the success of any democracy, the
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said.
will not do anything to stifle press freedom, because it is keenly aware
that a free press is vital to the success of any democracy, the
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said.
In
a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister said the federal
government has nothing to do with the recent arrest of Mr. Dapo
Olorunyomi, Publisher of the online newspaper Premium Times, and a
reporter working for the paper, Ms. Evelyn Okakwu.
a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister said the federal
government has nothing to do with the recent arrest of Mr. Dapo
Olorunyomi, Publisher of the online newspaper Premium Times, and a
reporter working for the paper, Ms. Evelyn Okakwu.
He
said the whole issue of the journalists’ arrest is purely a private
affair involving a citizen and a privately-owned newspaper, and wondered
how that could now be construed as an attempt by the government to
intimidate the press.
said the whole issue of the journalists’ arrest is purely a private
affair involving a citizen and a privately-owned newspaper, and wondered
how that could now be construed as an attempt by the government to
intimidate the press.
”We
have said it before and we want to re-state it: The Federal Government
has no immediate or long-term plan to stifle press freedom. Even the
Social Media, with its warts and all, will neither be regulated nor have
its operations tampered with,” Alhaji Mohammed assured Nigerians.
have said it before and we want to re-state it: The Federal Government
has no immediate or long-term plan to stifle press freedom. Even the
Social Media, with its warts and all, will neither be regulated nor have
its operations tampered with,” Alhaji Mohammed assured Nigerians.
