ANDREW OROLUA, ABUJA
Attorney General of Federation and Minister Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Tuesday, hailed the removal of Nigeria from Global Impunity Index by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
He made reference to the 2020 report of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) entitled “Getting Away with the Murder”, where Nigeria was removed from the Global Impunity Index that spotlights countries where journalists are slain and their killers go free.
Malami said the report attested to best practices in the conduct of the governance by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“The report indicated that Nigeria was the only country to get off the index of nations with impunity for crimes against journalists,” he said.
The Attorney General of Federation, who spoke during the Policy dialogue on protection of Journalists in commemoration of the International Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists that was co-sponsored by the British Council, attributed the achievement to several reforms in the justice sector.
Some of these reforms, he said, include increased access to justice, speedy justice dispensation, decongestion of Nigeria’s correctional centres and judicious implementation of the Criminal Justice Act and Justice Sector reforms.
According to him, the Federal Government has also taken steps in advancing the rule of law, application of human rights, enhancing the freedom of information and by implication freedom of the press as well as the administration of criminal justice.
He said that in addition to the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, the present administration has introduced the Public Interest Disclosure and Witness Protection Bill (2017), WhistleBlower Protection Policy, Open Government Partnership and intensified the fight against corruption.
On journalism, Malami said: “I am convinced that journalism is not a crime. Rather, there are apparent crimes committed by some people that claim to practice journalism. Journalists are not in any way targeted for witch-hunt.
“It is essential to note that Nigeria operates a constitutional democracy that guarantees freedom of expression thereby providing a conducive atmosphere and veritable platforms that enable Nigerians their inalienable fundamental rights to unhindered ventilation of opinions,” he added.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, who attended the celebration, said that protection of journalists is inevitable in a democracy that wants to grow.
He advised politicians to grow the country’s democracy into prosperity with journalists craving for transparency.
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