“Gives 14 Days Ultimatum”
The Campaign for Democracy (CD) and Human Rights, Liberty Access, and Peace Defenders’Foundation (HURIDE) have called on Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State to immediately reopen Oziza FM Radio station, Owerri.
In a statement in Owerri Imo State, the two rights groups called on the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and Governor Uzodimma to immediately reopen the radio station.
In the statement signed by Dede Uzor A, Uzor, Chairman South East of CD and Executive Director of HURIDE, the groups asked the NBC and Uzodimma to reopen the station without further delay.
Condemning the closure of the station, the rights groups alleged in the statement that NBC and Gov Uzodimma by their actions were fighting against freedom of press and speech in Imo State.
They said the action of the NBC and Governor negate the age-long principles and tenets of democracy which allows freedom of expression, saying that this “primitive and draconian actions of NBC leadership and Gov Hope Uzodimma who openly supported the gruesome and public killing of unarmed Awo Omamma youths will not augur well for the development of democracy in Imo State in particular and Nigeria in general.
The station was shutdown for allegedly reporting the brutal killing of 14 Igbo youths who were said to be returning from wedding ceremony in Awo omamma recently.
“We are giving both NBC and the Governor 14 days to reopen Oziza FM Station or we mobilise the entire South East citizens to storm Owerri and stage massive protest. It is very despicable that NBC has reintroduced the abolished decree 4 of 1984 in Imo State”.
They wondered why political leaders like Uzodimma would be angling to lead in a democratic set-up like ours but don’t have the credentials of democratic leadership, saying that characters like Uzodimma stunt the democratic process in NIgeria.
The rights groups called on people of good will and different International organisations to stoutly condemn the undemocratic disposition of NBC and Gov Uzodimma and bring pressure to bear on him not only to reopen the Oziza radio station but to allow freedom of speech to thrive in Imo State.