Samoa Agreement: Coalition Commends Nigerian Government For Reporting Daily Trust To Ombudsman

The Coalition for Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) has praised the Nigerian Federal Government for reporting Daily Trust Newspaper to the National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC), also known as the National Ombudsman. This action was taken in response to grievances about a report on the recently signed Samoa Agreement.

As reported by Premium Times, Information Minister Mohammed Idris announced on Wednesday, July 11th, in Abuja, that the government had formally complained to the NMCC regarding what it termed a misleading report by Daily Trust.

The NMCC, established in 2023, is a nine-member commission consisting of representatives from the media, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), academia, and civil society. Chaired by former Guardian Newspaper managing director Emeka Izeze, the NMCC aims to bolster public trust in the media by promptly addressing ethical breaches in media content in Nigeria.

The CWPPF lauds the government’s decision to utilize the NMCC’s complaint submission procedure as a positive and constructive approach. This step is seen as reinforcing the coalition’s vision of a safer and freer environment for journalists.

The CWPPF encourages all individuals and organizations, both public and private, to report grievances against journalists and media organizations to the NMCC instead of resorting to security agencies. They also urge the NMCC to conduct thorough investigations into all complaints and enforce appropriate disciplinary actions for any ethical violations by journalists or media entities.