President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration protected the rights of journalists in his eight years in office.

This is according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, to celebrate the World Press Freedom Day, praising media professionals who risk their lives to keep society informed and educated.

The World Press Freedom Day is celebrated every May 3. This year’s celebration is themed ‘Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for all other Human Rights’.

The statement reads: “This year’s celebration marks 30 years since the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s decision proclaiming an international day for press freedom. This landmark is a tribute to media professionals who risk their lives to keep society informed and educated.

“President Buhari is delighted that the rights of Nigerian journalists have been protected and upheld in the last eight years. We have kept the faith; we have ensured that Nigerian journalists had unfettered freedom to practice their art, and on this occasion of World Press Freedom Day, we recommit to that resolution, even as we wind down in office.”

The president urged media professionals to continue to be patriotic, work for the cohesion of the country, and exercise their freedom with responsibility.

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has admonished the incoming government to initiate deliberate and sustained policies, and programmes, to promote freedom of expression, media freedom and safety of journalists.

The Guild noted that there were conscious efforts in the past, by some members of the National Assembly – working in collaboration with officials of the executive arm of government, to criminalise journalism in Nigeria.

The Guild, in a statement by its President Mustapha Isah, and General Secretary Dr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, promised to engage the incoming government over the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act and the Broadcast Code of Conduct – to amend and reform them to conform to the global best practices.

The statement reads: “We share the popular notion that freedom of the media is indispensable for the protection of all other human rights. Instances abound where inhuman treatments, torture, corruption, misuse of power, impunity and nepotism were exposed because of the reports by the media. Informing the public is often the first and essential step to begin remedying human rights violations and hold governments to account.

“Disturbing signs of repression, violations of media freedom and several cautious attempts to criminalise journalism practice, have been observed in the past few years in our country. There have been different forms of control, censorship, and pressure over the content of mass media in Nigeria, especially the broadcast stations, which have hindered their independence and pluralism.

“Cases of journalists deprived of their inalienable rights due to their work continue to occur over and over again. Harassment, intimidation, violence – and even murder – have been documented in the last eight years – by both local and international pro-media rights groups.”

The Guild however promised to, nevertheless, continue to provide useful advice on the improvement of journalism profession.

It advised the public to make use of the recently inaugurated nine-member board of the National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC), otherwise known as the National Ombudsman, to report cases of media misconduct.