Our attention has been drawn to the
aforementioned story which was circulated by Premium Times and further carried
by Sahara Reporters.
As
the head of the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION of Nigeria (HURIWA) I must say
that we are in support of any positive but rights-based anti-graft campaign
that respect the tenets of the Nigerian Constitution. We are however against
media trial of citizens alleged to have offended the provisions of the law of
Nigeria.
We
believe that section 36(5) of the Nigerian Constitution is sacrosanct regarding
fair hearing and the presumption of innocence.
On
the uncharitable use of words to describe both my person [which is totally
libelous] and our press statement issued by us on Sunday September 14th
2014, HURIWA maintains that our release to the media which was circulated even
to premium Times online newspapers but which it failed to run in accordance
with their editorial discretion was necessitated by an allegation that reached
us by one of our sources in with extensive intelligence that a purported report
would run imminently in an online medium to seek to damage the reputation of
Mr. Steve Oronsanye because of his pioneering role in advocating for the
passage of the Nigerian financial intelligence center Bill by the National
Assembly to remove it from the control of EFCC.
HURIWA
has completely associated itself with this move to grant autonomy to erstwhile
NFIU to legally elevate it to the position of an Independent Institution under
the purview of Central Bank of Nigeria. But rather than accept our democratic
and constitutional right to support the move by the National Assembly to pass
the NFIC Bill, the officials of EFCC attacked us in the media for alleging that
it was witch hunting principal promoters of that NFIC Bill.
Section
39(1) of the Constitution states as follows “Every person shall be entitled
to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and
impart ideas and information with out interference”.
We
are amazed that EFCC could confront us frontally for supporting the NFIC Bill
which is a presidential bill which it openly opposed in the National Assembly
just before the Senate passed it. The rejoinder to our published write up was
also published by the same print medium that widely circulated my first opinion
in support of an independent NFIC.
Based
on our experience of been attacked in the media by EFCC for supporting Mr.
President’s decision to push for an independent Nigerian Financial Intelligence
Center- NFIC, when information reached us that one of the principal characters
promoting that Bill Mr. Oronsanye is about to be attacked in an online medium,
we issued our statement and carefully avoided mentioning Premium TIMES.
Subsequently,
the following day based on my request, I held a meeting with some editors of
Premium Times whereby they protested that our association attempted to rubbish
Premium Times. The Premium Times further alleged that Mr. Walter the PR manager
of Mr. Steve Oronsanye briefed me before I decided to put out a press statement
to in their words 'preempt' their publication, I quickly explained that I never
discussed with Walter Duru but another source spoke to us but to our shock
Premium Times ran a story accusing me of being a mercenary activist (may be
because I am not Yoruba by origin) the place of birth of most of their editors
including the alleged leading shareholder who was a senior staff of EFCC when
the current Chairman was a top flight management staff under Mr. Nuhu Ribadu.
While Premium Times is entitled to run whatever story they may have, I take
strong exception to this 'gutter' level it embarked upon by those uncharitable
descriptions. This is the lowest practice that professional journalism can
witness and I am deeply shocked that such a despicable practice would be
promoted by an organization we hold so much in high regard which was why we
never mentioned it as the online medium. Why the phobia and hatred for me? This
is regrettable.
We
have no apologies to offer for supporting the Nigerian Financial intelligence
center Bill to take that Unit away from EFCC so as to make it more vigorously
competent and ready to pursue, arrest and prosecute alleged sponsors of
terrorism and other financial crimes in the competent courts of law.
We
will never support corruption and we challenge the properly authorized agency
to do the needful by charging suspects in any proven case of official heist to
competent court of law and to stop using gestapo style propaganda to demonize
certain persons in the media of mass communication.
Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) is a
registered Non-Governmental, non-profit, Non Religious and Non Political
Oriented Association of Nigerian Creative Writers, Philosophers, Journalists
and Humane Thinkers dedicated to deploying their creative talents to promote
and protect the Human Rights of Nigerians and good Governance through
constructive dialogues and media of Mass communication.
The
target Audience of the Association includes: Assisting the indigent and other
vulnerable groups in the society. Please join us to project these good ideals
for the betterment of the Nigerian Society by becoming a better corporate
citizen and by promoting the cause of Human rights.
Our
objectives are;
v To deploy the members’ creative talents as writers to
promote, protect and project the human rights of all Nigerians and other law
abiding citizens resident within Nigeria;
v To organize periodic seminars and training workshops locally
for human capital development specifically on the tenets and ideals of Human
Rights and the rule of Law;
v To attend International Workshops and Seminars targeted at
the promotion and protection of human rights;
v To conduct periodic studies on ways, means and strategies
for promoting and protecting human rights of law abiding citizens;
v To highlight human rights challenges confronting the persons
in conflict with the law and seek for constructive modalities for redressing
such violations; and
v To recognize excellence and good governance standards in the
polity through yearly award ceremonies for exceptionally good, tested and
trusted leaders in both the corporate and public sectors. The process of
selection would be by transparent mass participation strategies.
Be assured of our highest esteem and
consideration.
*
Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko;
National
Coordinator;
HURIWA.
15/9/2014
