Media Rights Agenda condemns Bombing of offices of ThisDay and other newspapers

Media Rights Agenda condemns Bombing of offices of ThisDay and other newspapers Ayodele Samuel,Lagos Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has condemned today's bombings of the offices of ThisDay newspapers in Abuja and Kaduna as well as the offices of The Sun and The Moment newspapers in an apparently coordinated plan. The Abuja office of the newspaper was bombed at about 11.30 this morning with scores of lives reportedly lost while several others were injured. At about the same time, a building in Kaduna, housing 'Thisday', 'Sun' and 'The Moment' newspapers, was also bombed with no less than three deaths also reported at the incident. In a statement on behalf of the organization, MRA's executive director, Mr. Edetaen Ojo condemned what he called "a cowardly and dastardly" attack on media freedom and a shocking disregard for human life. He said: "We are extremely concerned by the apparent helplessness of the Federal Government as well as the law enforcement and security agencies in the face of this relentless onslaught on the Nigerian people which has caused hundreds of innocent citizens their lives in the last several months." Mr. Ojo called on the Federal Government to live up to its primary responsibility of ensuring the security and welfare of the people saying that it appeared to have failed woefully in this regard. He asked the Government to devote all the resources at its disposal to find those responsible for these ongoing acts of terrorism and bring them to justice in order to end this climate of fear and impunity which has paralyzed governance, commercial and social activities in many parts of the country.

Tinubu condemns blasts at media houses

Ayodele Samuel,Lagos : Tinubu Media Office Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), has condemned the blasts at media houses in Abuja and Kaduna, saying it is a serious attack on Nigeria's democracy. He however offered the opposition's cooperation to President Goodluck Jonathan, to curtail the present dire security situation and end the drift in the polity. "The attacks on the Abuja office of This Day and the Kaduna offices of This Day, Daily Sun and The Moment adds a different and dangerous dimension to the level of insecurity in our country," Tinubu said in reaction to the blasts.  "We have never had it so bad in this country." He said the brazen attack on the three newspapers, in two different locations in the country was red signal that it was time to confront and conquer the precarious political situation in the country, adding that a free press was key to democracy, which, he insisted, underscored an American president's saying that given a choice between having a government without the press or the press without government, he would glad choose the press. "The fact that Boko Haram continues to attack buildings and kill innocent Nigerians un-apprehended is a symptom of the failure of intelligence and security breakdown," he said.  "Even then, any government worth its salt ought to be extremely worried about this new but dangerous trend of attacking media houses.  It must therefore be jolted to take actions to stem the tide." However the former governor of Lagos said it was not time to trade blame, but time to put heads together to face and defeat a common insecurity monster, adding that the opposition was ready to work with President Jonathan. "We call on all leaders of thought, and all religious and political leaders to rally and let us together find a way to resolve this problem.  Whether it is religious or political Boko Haram, we must root it out by ensuring justice and fairness," Asiwaju Tinubu appealed. He assured the president that the opposition was ready to work with him on the insecurity question, but stressed that the president must consult wide on this rather delicate issue. "We in the opposition are ready and willing to cooperate with the president to solve this problem," he offered.  "But the president must consult wide and show good faith in a reasoned and collective solution.  That is the way we can solve the problem together." Asiwaju Tinubu condoled with the management and staff of the newspapers involved and sympathised with the victims of the blast. "I wish to sympathise and condole with everyone affected by this avoidable tragedy.  May God comfort them all.