I'm sharing this because people in the media should be a little scared of what happened yesterday. If they can do this to AIT, they can come for the rest of us. And before you know it, we can no longer write what we want. I hope it doesn't come to that. A lawyer shares his opinion.
Read below...
Maybe I should attempt to open our eyes just a little to what is actually going on: 'Buhari bans AIT from covering his activities'. This is nothing for you to rejoice about that AIT sponsored hate campaign and so it's a good response. No! It isn't. It is just a true reflection of the 1984 hatred for critics and the press. Indeed, you may repackage a despot, but he is what he is.
I laugh when I remember his words at Chatham house: "so I present to you, a former dictator and a 'born-again' democrat'. Like really? Do you realize that one Cardinal part of this democracy is the freedom of the press? Perhaps he understands the role of the media in bringing down GEJ and maybe scared of same.
Let me take you back a little, do you know the APC legislators, last year sponsored a bill to control the press? to be specific, social media? Do you realize that severally as a dictator, Mr. President-Elect called the media, 'a distraction'.
What then is the lesson?
While I do not subscribe to ANY form of unprofessionalism in the media, this is democracy, you can sue for defamation, except of cos you think they are saying the truth. Further you could prosecute for sedition (that's what I'll do to Sahara reporters if I were GEJ). You do not blacklist the media. It only starts with AIT and then possibly it will spread to other channels. Then we would have a 'controlled media'.
But then again, let this cloud that is gathered yield us some fruits, 'cos the NextGeneration is patiently waiting to kick all of you out. Just wait and see!
Gilbert Oladeinbo (Esq.)
