Zamfara government has apologized for shutting down some media houses in the state.
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress , APC and Chairman, Zamfara State Committee on Prosecution of Banditry and Related Offences, Alhaji Abdullahi Shinkafi, made the apology at a press conference in Gusau.
The media organisations shut down by the government included Nigeria Television Authority , Radio Nigeria’s Pride FM Gusau, Gamji TV, Gamji FM and Al-umma TV which are privately operated.
Dr Shinkafi said the government was angered by the alleged violation of the the Executive Order No.10, 2022, which came into effect on October 13.
The government, in the Order, banned all forms of political rallies and meetings in the state due to security concerns, suspended all political activities and totally shut down Anka, Bukuyum and Gummi Local government areas’ roads and other affected towns and villages affected by order No 10, 2022
Shinkafi said that the affected media organizations violated the Order by covering an alleged “illegal political activity” of the Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic party (PDP), Dr Dauda Lawal-Dare, in Gusau on Saturday.
He said the “illegal political gathering” led to a security breach by some youths of the two political parties, saying the police had confirmed that one man was shot dead and eighteen others injured during the event.
Shinkafi added that the government action of shutting down the media houses attracted unprecedented reactions and criticisms from various organizations and agencies.
The broadcast media regulators, Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the International Press Institute (IPI), among others, condemned the government for its action and called for immediate reversal.
The APC chieftain, however, insisted that Gov. Matawalle’s action was guided by the powers vested on him as enshrined in relevant sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic.
According to him, the government has since withdrawn the order given to the Commissioner of Police to arrest and prosecute personnel seen around the affected media organizations and withdrawn security forces deployed to the media houses to allow the personnel resume their work.
END/ SANI DUTSINMA