‘Expunge Hate Speech from NBC Code’ – Human Rights Lawyer
A legal practitioner, Festus Ogwuche, has threatened to take legal action against the Federal Government over the N5million hate speech fine.
Ogwuche, whose speciality covers human rights and media law, made this declaration in a letter to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
In a copy of the letter obtained by The Nation, Ogwuche drew the attention of the AGF to a judgment by the ECOWAS Court of Justice in 2018 in a suit he initiated against the Federal Government.
The Port Harcourt-based lawyer said the ECOWAS Court judgment covers everything that threatens the operation of free press in the society.
The statement reads in part: “That you take effective and adequate measures to ensure the full implementation and observance of the judgment of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, specifically regarding the perpetual injunction issued against the Federal Republic of Nigeria in “Festus A. Ogwuche & Other vs Federal Republic of Nigeria judgment No. ECW/CCJ/JUG/31/18”; delivered on the 11th day of December, 2018 against all acts that impede against the existence and operation of a free and unfettered press and the exercise of freedom of speech.
“That you delete and/or expunge the offensive provision contained in the National Broadcasting Commission code and ensure they are brought into conformity with the existing international human rights convention and the rules and principles governing the international protection of such rights, in line with the prevailing trends in international human rights law and the ideals of press freedom.
“That your National Broadcasting Commission withholds forthwith the imposition and collection of monies on all penalties on the basis of the NBC amended code as a matter of legal and judicial imperative.”
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