…..as Stakeholder Advocates Expunge of Criminal defamation from penal code,
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Thursday, warned against indiscriminate arrest, intimidation and molestation of media practitioners in the country often carried out by the rich, politicians and law enforcement agents.
The National Vice President of the NUJ, South East Zone C, Comrade Emmanuel Ifesinachi gave the warning in Awka, the Anambra state capital, at unveiling of online based newspaper, hardcore news cum training on cyber aggression, cyber bullying and safe use of social media organised by the Association of Digital Media Core Advocates (ADMCA).
Ifesinachi argued that the journalists should be seen and treated as partners in progress as they perform their roles as societal watchdogs while holding the government accountable.
He, therefore, urged the government and the governed to stop using force on them but rather explore legal means of resolving whatever differences they had with the media at all times as it would be beneficial to society.
Contributing, the keynote speaker at the occasion, Dr Chukwuma Onunkwo, urged the media practitioners’ to be weary of information they disseminate on the Internet, because according to him, publishing untrue reports could result into emotional and mental pains or even deaths.
Earlier, the convener and National President of ADMCA, Dr Chuma Harris-Odili, sought for expunging of criminal defamation from the penal code, because according to him, the rich and the powerful class were using it to silence opposing views.
“Criminal defamation needs to be expunged from our penal code, especially as it is currently being exploited by the rich and powerful class to silence opposing views in the society, in active connivance with the law enforcement agents. So many examples abound, where social media posts, blog articles and podcasts have landed the disseminators in trouble,” he stated.