MEDIA IN NIGERIA #02 - 15 (28 APRIL 2003)

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MEDIA IN NIGERIA is a weekly publication on developments within and
affecting the media/communication/freedom of expression sector in Nigeria.

It is an initiative of the Institute for Media and Society (IMS), a
non-profit,
non-governmental organization based in Lagos, Nigeria.
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NEWS

MEDIA - GENERAL
-EU MISSION FLAYS MEDIA COVERAGE OF NIGERIAN ELECTIONS
-MEDIA MONITORING GROUP COMMENDS INEC
-GOVT, GROUPS CONDEMN FOREIGN MEDIA REPORTS ON NIGERIA
-JOURNALIST PETITIONS INEC OVER ASSAULT
-IBORI THREATENS TO SUE MEDIA HOUSES OVER CONVICTION SAGA

BROADCAST MEDIA
-GOVERNSHIP CANDIDATE QUIZZED OVER USE OF RADIO STATION
-NBC TO LICENSE MORE SATELLITE STATIONS

INFOTECH
-GOVT APPROVES $2M MOBILISATION FEE FOR PENTASCOPE
-ISPs LOBBY NCC TO WITHDRAW ISM VACATION ORDER
-GOVT APPOVES JOINT VENTURE FOR NIPOST E-MAIL

MEDIA - GENERAL

EU MISSION FLAYS MEDIA COVERAGE OF NIGERIAN ELECTIONS

The European Union Election Observer Mission (EU.EOM) to the recently held
general elections in Nigeria has described the coverage of the polls by the
Nigerian media as "flawed".

In its second preliminary report on the election released on April 22, the
EU Observer Mission stated that the media "failed to provide unbiased, fair
and informative coverage of the political parties and candidates contesting
the elections".

According to the report, the poor performance of the media was the result of
inhibiting factors which included financial instability of the Nigerian
media, media reliance on sponsorship for survival, a media culture of
deference to the party in power, weakness of both government and
self-regulation, among others.

The EU mission noted that both federal and state-owned broadcast media were
biased in favour of the parties and candidates in power. "These media have
a particular obligation to provide impartial and unbiased information to the
electorates, because they are publicly owned and because of their advantage
in reaching the largest number of people in Nigeria. However, detailed
analysis carried out by the EU EOM shows that they failed to live up to this
obligation", the report said.

The print media were equally criticized for failing to maintain impartiality
in the coverage of the polls. " Federally owned newspapers favoured the
ruling party in terms of space and tone, while privately owned newspapers
tended to favour candidates of their choices", the report said.

However, the Nigerian government has come to the defense of the Nigerian
media. Addressing a press conference last week at Abuja, Minister of
Information and National Orientation, Jerry Gana, described the EU Observer
Mission indictment of the local media as "unfair".

According to the minister, what determined the "level of coverage of a
party's activities was the frequency of such activities". He therefore
commended the media for their integrity and the job they had done.

MEDIA MONITORING GROUP COMMENDS INEC

Against the background of the European Union mission-led accusation of
unbalanced coverage of the electoral process by the Nigerian media, the
Media Monitoring Group, the body set up jointly by the Nigeria Union of
Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) to monitor the
general elections, has commended the conduct of the April 19 election by the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In its interim report on the polls, the group said INEC was more responsive
in the April 19 election than the April 12 National Assembly polls.
According to the report, "election officials arrived on time at most polling
booths and materials were in sufficient supply.".

Though, it confirmed the reported incidence of irregulations, intimidation
and violence in some states, the Media Monitoring Group admonished winners
of both the governorship and presidential elections to be magnanimous in
victory and be alive to their promises to the electorate. On the other
hand, it advised the losers to accept their defeat in good faith as their
sacrifice towards the survival of democracy in Nigeria.

GOVT, GROUPS CONDEMS FOREIGN MEDIA REPORTS ON NIGERIA

The damning reports of the foreign media on the on-going general elections
in Nigeria have continued to attract criticisms from groups and
organisations in the country.

The latest in the torrent of condemnation has come from the Federal
Government. Jerry Gana, Minister of Information and National Orientation,
who spoke on behalf of the Nigerian government, took a swipe at the foreign
media for their reports on the election. "Most of them had a premeditated
idea of what the election should look like. They came just to find faults;
they did not come to cover the elections. That is why they want things to
go the wrong way", Gana alleged.

The minister warned that the county will no longer tolerate such biased and
inciteful reports from any foreign medium.

In similar vein, the visiting Vice President of German Truck Manufacturing
giant, MAN NUtzfahrzenge Group, Helmnt Schoepl, chided the international
press for concentrating on reporting only the negative aspects of Nigeria.
He said the foreign media exaggerated the negative aspects of the
presidential and governorship elections adjudged as fair by most Nigerians.

Similar views were expressed by the Chairman of the Broadcasting
Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Taiwo Alimi, who accused correspondents of
major western media covering the Nigeria electoral process of lacking
sufficient understanding of the problems and situation of Nigeria.

"The reports have shown that these foreign media have taken a stand against
the Nigerian nation as a peaceful and a united country", Alimi said.

JOURNALIST PETITIONS INEC OVER ASSAULT

One of the journalists attacked in the course of covering the general
elections, Tunde Sanni, Kwara State correspondent of the Post Express
Newspaper, has petitioned the independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) and the Commander, 22 Armoured Brigade, Ilorin, over an alleged
assault and battery during the presidential / governorship election in
Ilorin, Kwara State.

According to Sanni, he was beaten with horsewhip by soldiers in the convoy
of the commander of the 22 Armoured Brigade, Brigadier - General Ishiaku
Dikko, at Pakwa, Oke Kure area of Ilorin, where he had gone to cover the
monitoring of the elections by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Angene
Amadi.

Similarly, in Markurdi, Benue State, journalists were on April 21 banned
from entering the premises of the INEC headquarters by overzealous mobile
policemen stationed at the gate of the commissions office. The policemen
ordered five journalists who were duly accredited by INEC to monitor the
polls in the state not to come near the office or face dire consequences.

One of the policemen said they were under strict instructions not to allow
anybody, including journalists, into the premises of the commission, a claim
which was denied by Alex Okpe, INEC's public affairs officer. He said the
commission never authorized the security officers to prevent journalists
from entering the premises.

Meanwhile, the Bauchi State council of Nigeria Union of journalists (NUJ)
has called on its members to boycott all police activities in the state with
immediate effect. The directive, according to the union chairman, Idris
Sambo, is to protest the manhandling of members of the union by members of
the command.

Recently, two journalists in the state, Audu Saud, a cameraman with Nigeria
Television Authority (NTA), Bauchi and Kaura Mohammed of the Post Express
newspaper were beaten up at the state police headquarters.

IBORI THREATENS TO SUE MEDIA HOUSES OVER CONVICTION SAGA

Basking in the euphoria of the his re-election, Delta State governor, James
Ibori, has indicated his desire to drag to court, media organisations who
published libelous articles on him on the conviction saga.

Amos Utuama, Attorney General and commissioner for justice who dropped this
hint in Warri, accused some newspapers of over-dramatizing the saga, by
churning out half-truths in order to boost sales.

"But just at they have been making money from publishing wreckless reports
on the matter, at the appropriate time, His Excellency (Ibori) will seek
redress in court and equally make handsome claims from those media houses
involved", Utuama declared.

BROADCAST MEDIA

GOVERNSHIP CANDIDATE QUIZZED OVER USE OF RADIO STATION

The Alliance for Democracy (AD) candidate in the April 19 governorship
election in Delta State, Great Ogboru, has been summoned by the State
Security Service (SSS) in Asaba, the State Capital, to explain his role in
the alleged illegal broadcast of the governorship election results on April
20 by a private FM radio station in Warri.

According to reports, supporters of the AD governorship candidate had on
April 20, invaded the JFM radio station in Adeje, near Warri, and forced the
announcer on duty to proclaim Ogboru as winner of the election, following
which there was jubilation in Warri and Sapele.

It remains unclear whether Ogboru ordered the invasion. However, in a swift
response on the report, Rainbow Promise 2003, Ogboru's campaign
organisation, dismissed the claim by JFM that the station was forced to
announce the victory of Ogboru in the governorship election.

Brume Ezewa, Director of the organisation, said the announcement was a paid
advertisement duly placed by Clever Egbeji the publicity secretary of AD in
the State. "Chief Egbeji,, who signed the special announcement paid N8,100
for six slots: three in the afternoon and three in the evening. The
statement did not announce results but simply said Chief Ogboru is the
convincing winner going by general acceptability", Ezewa explained.

NBC TO LICENSE MORE SATELLITE STATIONS

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has announced plans to license
additional satellite broadcasting stations in the country.

The move, according to the Commission's Director General, Silas Yisa, will
curb the excessive negative coverage of events in Nigeria by the existing
foreign stations.

Before now, NBC had issued similar licenses to the African Independent
Television (AIT) and the Minaj Broadcast International. The Nigerian
Television Authority (NTA) also claims to have the license for satellite
broadcast.

Meanwhile, the main broadcasting station of Radio Benue, Markudi,
north-central Nigeria, has been gutted by fire. Reports said the station
was set ablaze by unidentified persons.

INFOTECH

GOVT APPROVES $2M MOBILISATION FEE FOR PENTASCOPE

The Nigeria government has approved the payment of $2million mobilization
fee to Pentascope international, the Dutch consulting firm engaged recently
to manage the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) on contract for
three years.

Nasir el-Rufai, Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE)
in a memo, stated that the $2 million is in respect of clearly verifiable
expenses like cars, houses and salaries and other personnel costs.

The BPE boss said the remuneration could could be higher if the Dutch firm
meets the turnover and profitability targets.

The management contract for NITEL which was signed by the parties on March
18, is to take effect from April 1, 2003.

ISPs LOBBY NCC TO WITHDRAW ISM VACATION ORDER

Faced with threat of possible eclipse of their businesses, internet service
providers in Nigeria under the aegis of the Internet Service Providers
Association of Nigeria (ISPAN) have called on the Nigerian Communications
Commission (NCC) to reconsider its plan to scrap the 2.4 Ghz and 5.8 GHz
frequency currently used by most internet service providers.

The NCC has given up till the end of this year when it would expect every
body using the ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band for unlicensed
commercial operation to vacate.

The commission based the order on result of study/research on prevailing
situation in countries like the United States and the UK.

But ISPAN, in calling for a change of heart by the commission equally based
its position on prevailing conditions in these counties. The organization
noted that the American Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allows the
use of ISM band for commercial services provided the transmission power of
the equipment deployed does not exceed one watt.

Instead of evacuating operators in the band, ISPAN urged the NCC to set up
guidelines to regulate the operations of the service providers and save the
sector from total collapse.

GOVT APPOVES JOINT VENTURE FOR NIPOST E-MAIL

As part of efforts to enable the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) take
advantage of global changes in communication, the Nigerian government has
approved the establishment of a joint venture between NIPOST and two private
firms - Development Venture International Incorporated (DVI) of USA and ABG
Nigeria Limited.

Tagged NETPOST Nigeria Limited, the venture is expected to facilitate the
delivery of electronic mail and other related services in Nigeria.

The project which is billed to take off in thirteen centers across the
country will utilize the V- satellite technology.

Each of the partners is expected to contribute an initial share capital of
N100 million at a ratio of 40 percent from NIPOST, 35 percent from DVI and
ABG 25 percent.

-----ENDS----

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