Daily Trust newspapers have disagreed with The Punch over its decision to include the prefix, Major General, in addition to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Punch said in an editorial on December 11 entitled ‘Buhari’s lawlessness: Our stand’ that Buhari’s administration would now be referred to as a regime until it purges itself of “insufferable contempt for the rule of law.”
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However, in its own editorial on Thursday, Daily Trust said it believed Punch went “overboard in its reaction.”
“It has the right to take a position on any issue but to describe an elected government as a ‘regime’ and to refuse to recognise the president by his statutory title is an attempt to delegitimise an elected president and the government he heads,” the editorial read.
“While it is sometimes difficult, by the nature of newspapers, to draw a sharp dividing line, PUNCH’s stand crossed the boundary between journalism and activism and could cause problems for proper journalism practice in the future. Government, too, could retaliate and describe us not as newspapers or journalists but as opposition activists and detractors. Such a stance would impair and harm the pursuit of good journalism. In all situations therefore, wiser counsel should prevail instead of impulsive reaction.”
In January, Daily Trust’s headquarters in Abuja and Maiduguri branch were invaded by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) over a report “which divulged classified military information, thus undermining national security.”
The newspaper, however, stated in the editorial that it is not in essence supporting the disobedience of court orders by Buhari’s administration.
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“This is not to disagree with PUNCH on the need for the government to improve its democratic credentials and respect for court orders. The continued detention of Dasuki, Sowore and El-Zakzaky despite numerous court orders for their release on bail is a blot on Nigeria’s image and a dent on its democratic order. It is unjustifiable, unlawful and unacceptable,” Daily Trust said.
“The president and the vice president, not DSS, are elected to run the country’s affairs. They must curtail DSS’s overzealousness and ensure that flagrant abuse of citizens’ fundamental rights never happen again. Both PUNCH and the Federal Government should tone down their rhetoric and de-escalate the present tension.”
