Media ombudsman directs Daily Trust to apologise over Samoa agreement publication

The National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC), also known as the media Ombudsman, has directed Daily Trust newspaper to issue a formal apology following inaccuracies in its report on the Samoa Agreement, which suggested the deal included provisions relating to LGBTQ+ rights.

The decision follows an investigation into a complaint filed by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

The commission on Monday, in its 19-page report, acknowledged the newspaper’s engagement with an issue of significant national importance but stressed that its journalistic standards fell short of the Revised Code of Ethics for Nigerian Journalists, 2022.

The report also criticised the federal government for failing to act transparently, which the NMCC said contributed to “conjectures and speculations” surrounding the agreement.

Inaccuracies in Reporting

The NMCC’s report found the Daily Trust article, published on 4 July, to be inaccurate, particularly in its claims that the Samoa Agreement contained clauses relating to LGBTQ+ rights.

The commission noted that, while earlier drafts of the agreement had included contentious references to sexual orientation and gender identity, the final 403-page document did not contain such provisions.

The Daily Trust report was ruled to have violated Article 2.1 of the 2022 Revised Code of Journalism Ethics, which mandates accuracy in reporting.

The NMCC directed the newspaper to apologise both in print and online and to take internal steps to ensure a recurrence is prevented.

Transparency Concerns

The NMCC faulted the federal government in its handling of information about the Samoa Agreement.

The commission argued that the controversy might have been avoided if the government had been more open and proactive in communicating with the public.

“The federal government’s lack of openness and failure to proactively engage the public on the Samoa Agreement created an environment of uncertainty and speculation,” the NMCC stated, adding that transparency and accountability are essential for maintaining public trust.

The Ombudsman pointed out that the government should have informed the Nigerian public of the agreement’s contents shortly after signing, and that greater transparency would have alleviated much of the confusion surrounding the deal.

The NMCC’s findings emphasised the need for improved public communication from government institutions, particularly on matters of national importance.

The report warned that secrecy in governance can erode public trust and deepen suspicion.

“Transparency and accountability are non-negotiable elements of democratic governance.

“In this digital age, proactive information dissemination should be the standard across all government offices. The prevailing culture of secrecy must be abolished to foster greater public confidence,” the commission said.

The NMCC, chaired by Emeka Izeze, former managing director of Guardian newspaper, urged the government to adopt a more open and transparent approach to governance, particularly in its international dealings.

The report called for all tiers of government to ensure that information of public interest is made readily available to citizens.

Background

Inaugurated in April 2023 to bolster public trust in the media as a reliable gauge of public sentiment, the commission faced its first significant challenge on 10 July when the Nigerian government officially complained about a Daily Trust article concerning the Samoa Agreement.

“We have made a complaint to the Ombudsman to look at the report and we have sighted examples of where Daily Trust have got it wrong,” the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said, adding that the government wants “Daily Trust to come clean and also mention or apologise to the nation and the government.”

“There is no harm in saying you are wrong in this one, we apologise and we’ll get it right, but we don’t expect that we will just sit down and keep quiet when the government feels that what a particular newspaper has written is not in the best interest of the country and it is not correct, it is misinformation and therefore action needs to be taken, and the action we have taken is that as we speak now complained with the Ombudsman,” Mr Idris said.

The government said that it anticipates the industry’s Ombudsman to review the complaint impartially.

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier in July examined the 172-page Samoa Agreement to investigate claims of LGBT clauses, as reported by Daily Trust and other media outlets.

The claims arose from an article by a Lagos-based lawyer, who argued that Articles 2.5 and 29.5 of the agreement “legalise LGBT, transgenderism, abortion, and perversity in African countries.”

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However, a review of the agreement revealed no such provisions. Article 2.5 mentions promoting gender equality, while Article 29.5 discusses reproductive health without reference to sexual orientation.

Although the EU initially included LGBT clauses, protests from some member states, including Nigeria, led to its removal.

The EU stated it “regrets that the Agreement fails to explicitly mention discrimination based on sexual orientation,” but the final document signed by Nigeria omits these provisions.

Contrary to widespread speculations, the report found that there are no LGBT clauses in the agreement.