Kalu Makes Case For Continued Media Freedom In Nigeria

Following an impassioned presentation at the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce, a former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, expressed concern over the United States of America’s Consular General Jeffery Hawkins´ recent remarks on media freedoms in Nigeria.
While hosting a luncheon at the Frankfurt Hilton, attended by international delegates, on the role of social equality as a pillar of stability in Africa, Kalu offered words of insight as to the central role freedom of expression plays, not simply in depolarizing the media and fostering trust but as a tenet of true democracy and a hallmark of any nation´s trajectory.
He said: “The fundamental freedom to voice one’s opinion without persecution or consequence is not a luxury to be granted but a human right in any modern society.
“I urge President Goodluck Jonathan to heed Consular General Hawkins’ concerns as Nigeria cannot afford to further stifle the open sharing of ideas and with it, its own political process.”
Such criticism from international bodies does not arrive unwarranted.
Select state and non-state actors in-country and in the Nigerian Diaspora have often aimed to suppress and distort political criticism for personal benefit. Journalists have been targeted, arrested and disciplined for their investigations and insight, creating a climate of distrust and moreover, allowing for the prevalent spread of misinformation.
Freedom House notably reported that more than 30 attacks on press liberty in the period leading up to the April 2011 presidential, legislative and gubernatorial elections occurred in Nigeria, often leading to correspondents being detained without judicial or legal authorization.
Kalu´s words resonated as he was recognized at Frankfurt´s Africa Business Week conference for his adamant strides toward curbing such corruption and working with non-government agencies in Africa and around the world to promote fairness and accountability in leadership.
Kalu later stated that despite communication hindrances due to lack of electricity flow, engagement in the online sphere serves as one of the last frontiers of free speech in the Nigerian civil society.
In the light of this, Kalu has launched an international worldwide-web media centre, complete with its own open forum, allowing for commentary and offering regular responses to voices of support, criticism or concern at http://OrjiKaluMediaCenter.com (http://OrjiKalu.ng).
He added: “We must listen and work with our citizens and our colleagues in the international community to ensure leadership is accountable for the actions they oversee.
“Though we have often seen complacency by western nations in the face of opportunity in West Africa, this dangerous trend of stifling media freedoms is not up for debate and larger than a reputational matter.
“It can serve to dramatically slow our inevitable climb to the competitive echelon of the BRICs and cost us more than just influential votes of confidence in the long run.”