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By Lawrence Agbo
Former Abia State Commissioner for Information, Eziuche Ubani, has argued that Nigerian journalists enjoyed greater operational freedom during military rule than under the country’s current democratic system.
Speaking on the state of the media industry on ARISE News, Ubani said journalists today face mounting legal, financial and political pressures, making it increasingly difficult for the press to perform its watchdog role.
According to him, the democratic ideals many activists and journalists fought for have not translated into greater press freedom.
“For me, we had more space to operate as journalists during the military era than we do in this democratic era,” Ubani said.
He lamented that many media professionals had expected democracy to strengthen freedom of expression and protect the press, but said the reality has been the opposite.
“Looking back, it feels like we laboured in vain. The democracy we fought for is not being practised,” he added.
Ubani alleged that journalists and media organisations are increasingly being intimidated, while defamation laws are being expanded and deployed against media practitioners.
He also highlighted the economic challenges confronting the industry, noting that the withdrawal of multinational advertising support and the accumulation of unpaid advertising debts have weakened many media organisations.
The former commissioner further said the rapid growth of digital platforms and citizen journalism has significantly disrupted traditional media, as many people now bypass conventional news organisations to publish information directly online.
Despite these challenges, Ubani stressed the need to safeguard press freedom and strengthen the media, describing a vibrant and independent press as essential to the survival of democracy in Nigeria.
