A former governor of Ogun state, Chief Olusegun Osoba, has said the democracy and freedom Nigerians enjoy today was fought for and won by some journalists who dedicated their lives and professional skills to the cause.
Osoba, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Managing Director of the Daily Times of Nigeria, stated this at the media screening of a documentary titled: ‘Paying The Price’ (Press Freedom in Nigeria), hosted by The Avalon Daily at the Freedom Park in Lagos.
The documentary tells the story of six journalists (Dapo Olorunyomi, Babafemi Ojudu, George Mba, Nosa Igiebor, Soji Omotunde, and Kunle Ajibade) who were tortured and jailed by the Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha-led military government for publishing stories that were in the interest of the society.
It will be recalled that Kunle Ajibade and George Mbah were both jailed for life during the period.
The former governor said the roles of journalists in a democracy are “of great significance,” to the overall well-being of any country.
“The democracy and freedom we enjoy in Nigeria today was fought for by the media. I have urged my colleagues at the TELL magazine, The News, The Guardian and others to write their story so people can know what the media passed through during the military regime.
“Some of you might have heard of NADECO, but that was just a wing or an arm in the fight for democracy. What you have just watched now (the documentary) is the price the media had to pay to usher in democracy in our country,” Chief Osoba said.
Also speaking, Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwolu, represented by the state’s Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, lauded all journalists who paid the ultimate price for defending their ideals and the ethics of their profession during the era.
“I’m glad that there are students of journalism who are also in attendance here. Hopefully, they would learn a bit of history and what it means to be a good journalist,” he said.
While commending The Avalon Daily for “preserving an important historic event in our country,” Omotosho recalled the ordeals of some of his colleagues like Senator Ojudu who was at one point held in a cemetery by the military junta for days over a news publication.
In his remarks, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, a former Senator representing Lagos-East constituency, said “The Avalon Daily has dug into the history of journalism and media in Nigeria to produce a documentary about the huge price paid by veteran journalists during the military era.
“As a people, we cannot afford to ignore the sacrifices made by those who risked all to give us a voice during oppression. I believe that as long as there is a chance for despots and authoritarian regimes to thrive, we owe our society a collective responsibility to speak up.
“This documentary on Paying the Price (of Press Freedom in Nigeria) is a commendable memoir that has shed light on a part of Nigeria’s history that we cannot simply forget.”
Similarly, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who was represented by Hakeem Bello, his media aide, said: “As you know, Mr. Babatubde Fashola is a stickler for documentation and he takes the documentation of important historical events like this documentary very seriously.
“I personally recall when my friend and colleague was also detained at the famous cemetery and those were ugly times for our country and journalists in particular.
“I am glad that the efforts of journalists, particularly in that era have been documented by The Avalon Daily, and we must continue to encourage other journalists to live up to the ethics of the profession.”
A foremost journalist and one of the victims of military junta, George Mbah, who was jailed for life by the Abacha-led military government, while speaking at the event urged that “journalist should continue to do their work in the interest of the society and damn the consequences.”
However, the Managing Editor of The Avalon Daily and producer of the documentary, Mr Ayodele Adio, said his organisation decided to document the history so that students of journalism across Nigerian tertiary institutions can learn from it and embrace their professional role in national development. He also recognized Mr. Mbah during the event, lauding his virtues.
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