Press Freedom and Fundamental Human Rights in Nigeria: A Case Study of the Olusegun Obasanjo Administration
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
To highlight the importance of press freedom, to look into how the press is being handled, and to determine how press freedom can further fundamental human rights in Nigeria.
To generate enough data that will serve as a motivator for future researchers in this area of communicating.
This work will be beneficial to media professionals politicians and anyone in society.
CHAPTER TWO –
LITERATURE REVIEW
FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA
Fundamental human rights and press freedom are two sides of a coin. What this means is that one cannot talk of fundamental human rights without having press freedom at the back of his mind.
However, in this world everybody was created equal. As a result everybody has the same right to enjoy. These human rights are enshrined in article1, 244 and 22 of United Nation Organization (UNO) declaration consequently; human rights are also enshrined in every country’s constitution including Nigeria.
Alas, human rights violation has been observed from Liberia and Rwanda to Nigeria, all in Africa, since the Europeans left in the sixties, we have been suffering from this problem. It will be oppression in Nigeria where we have had a junta government and the winner takes all syndrome. The study is also the same abuse of fundamental human rights. New swatch (1997) states that from the harassment of the so called slits in Northern Nigeria to the ogoius in Rivers state more and more Nigerians finding out that even the very small freedom on the table after the military decree have been excised up substantial portions are not even guaranteed.
As the masses cannot withstand such oppressions in their own land and by their people, some embrace violence as the lease resort to fight human rights abuses in Nigeria. Thomas Jefferson, Americans third president made it clear when he stated; Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God. Jefferson uttered these immortal words at the peak of America struggle against British colonialism. Implicit in those words is the legitimacy of resistance to all forms of tyranny.
Fundamental human right has raised much dust with government trying to stop or abuse those rights which belong to the people as rational being. Examples of some bills of right passed centuries ago which later metamorphosed to fundamental human rights are the Magra Carta” (1215) regarded as landmark in the area of human rights developments, which in 1689 became the English Bills of rights and Virginia declaration of rights (1776) Another example is the united states Bill of rights which came into being in 1791.
Asbie (1996) said that “fundamental human right does not need to be dressed in an incomprehensible and in elegant terms to advertise its “Worth this shows that fundamental human rights are self evidence. It speaks for itself whether it is a matter of choice and right of the people and anything far from it, does not represent people rights.
Whiskey (1998), on the other hands, says, that it is a shame that Nigeria, Africa largest country, could still be dehumanizing her own citizens” with the absence of fundamental human rights in Nigeria, Nigeria as a nation.
CHAPTER THREE –
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
METHODOLOGY
This chapter describes the methodology of the study which comprises the outline of the study, design of the study, area of the study, population of the study sample of the study. Instrument for data collection, validation of the instrument, distribution and retrieval of the instrument and method of data analysis.
BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE STUDY
The survey research method will be used in executing this work. Questionnaire will be distributed to respondents to answer certain questions. In survey research a group of people or items is studied by collecting and analyzing data from only a few people or items considered to be representative of an entire group or population. Survey research will reduce much work for the researcher. Because sampling all the population will voluminous and clumsy.
DESIGN OF THE STUDY
As Nwana (1981) put it, “Research design is a term used to describe a number of decision which need ever the data is collected though this decision must be systematic or scientific in nature.
AREA OF THE STUDY
The area investigated was people from Onitsha and political science students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
The population will be categorized into
- Students who are studying political science (that is future politicians)
- Politicians who work with the government.
- The general public. In all the total was 200 population.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
A total of one hundred (100) questionnaires was shared to one hundred people as the samples, the respondents were made up of students, journalists and the general public. The questionnaire was distributed thus, students 40, journalists 20 and the general public 40. The result was analyzed and interpreted using percentage and tables.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
This work looked at the press freedom and fundamental human rights in Nigeria under the Obasanjo administration the study tried to make a comparative analysis of press freedom in Nigeria during military and democratic periods.
Though the use of questionnaires, primary data were collected, simply percentage and tables were used to analyzed the data.
The research revealed that press freedom and fundamental human rights have considerably improved in Nigeria under the Obasanjo administration as against the military regime of Babngida and Abacha’s.
The findings also discovered that press freedom and fundamental human rights play complementary roles where one affects the other if it is lacking. Another important outcome of this study is that press freedom and fundamental human rights are perquisite democracy. In addition the press is seen as the voice of the voiceless in society.
CONCLUSION
The research has endeavored to appraise effectiveness and weakness of press freedom and fundamental human rights the pre-1999 years as a Yardstick for measurement. It was able to establish, that the two play complementary roles to each other.
The press as have been in the voice of the voiceless, where the people cannot speak, the press speaks for them. This goes to unhold the work of Amadi that no press no society”. This means that where the press is not in place or unfunctional society becomes useless and unworkable. Fundamental human right, on the other hand, cannot be over emphasized, it is with Asobies assertion that fundamental human right does not need to be pressed in an incomprehensible and in elegant terms to advertise it’s worth (Asobie 1996).
The research also established and concluded that here is the observance of press freedom and fundamental human rights in Nigeria but it has not come to what it is supposed to be.
RECOMMENADTION
- Based on the summation made from this study in the observance and practice of press freedom and fundamental human rights in Nigeria, the following recommendations are made:
- The government should try to advance the cause of press freedom from the level it is today, by granting the press free hand to its duty.
- The government should take a second look at its stand on Shaira law in some states of the federation.
- The government should prosecute those who violated human rights from the past till now.
- The press should do its work according to the ethnics of the profession.
- The people should be educated more to know their rights.
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Due to financial time constraints and clearity of relevant materials, the work will only survey the Babangida and Abacha military regimes and the Obasanjo civilian administration.
SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER STUDY
Since in press freedom in the voice of voiceless, it was advice to the general public to be reading tell magazine, and newswatch to know exactly what is going in the country.
Again since Nigeria in practical democracy, general public should be reading more of foreign magazine as an insight to understand press freedom and right of individual in the country.
REFERENCES
- Basu Dinga. D. (1986) Laws of the Press New Deiohi; Prentice Hall International.
- Dimkpa, P. (1997) Media Management in Nigeria City Publishers. Arotherone Akpu, Ray (1998) Newswatch May 25th
- Idong, G.J. (1973) Nigeria: International Politics and Foreign Policy 1960-66 Ibaadan University
- Jeffersson, Thomas (1999) Tell February 23rd
- Lasswell, H.D (1972) The Structure and Fundation Communication in Society, Chicago: University Illious.
- Luther. M. Jrn (1978) Weekly Time July 20th
- Malolu, Niran (1998) Tell may 18th
- Nwankwor. A. (1986) The thoughts on Nigeria: Enugu forth Dimension Publishers.
- Nnadozie G.B.M, Akuesuilo E.O. (1995) Research Methods and Statistics Awka, New Generation Publishers.
