Jonathan denies ordering seizure of newspapers

The President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has denied ordering the seizure of Nigerian newspapers.
The Friday and Saturday editions of some newspapers were seized by military men across the country, fuelling speculations of a crackdown on the critical section of the media.
In a statement on Saturday, Jonathan said his hands were clean in the matter.
In the statement, signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, Jonathan said he was an advocate of free press.
He said one of the first things he did on assumption of office was the signing into law of the Freedom of Information Bill.
The statement said: “We wish to state categorical that these reports are untrue, unfair and totally not in consonance with the posture of Mr President on issues concerning Press freedom.
“The Media, as the fourth estate of the realm is held in very high regards by the President and this has been practically demonstrated in various ways by this administration in the last three years.
“Gentlemen of the Press will recall that it was President Goodluck Jonathan who signed the very contentious Freedom of Information Bill into law immediately on assumption of office and has consistently espoused the principles of openness, accountability and liberalism in its relationship with the Media at all times.”
Jonathan said the action of the military should be situated strictly within the ambit of security checks based on intelligence report that some persons were planning to use vans to perpetrate evil acts.
He said: “The reported incidence of checks being carried out by the Military on major Nigerian roads and cities is not targeted at Newspaper vans because of the contents of the publications as insinuated in the reports. Rather, the Military had explained that those routine checks were being carried out following intelligence reports on the possibility of some elements within the society using such vehicles to convey ‘materials with grave security implications across the country’.”
The President said he sympathised with “Media Houses which might have suffered one discomfort or the other as a result of these security checks, we assert, for the avoidance of doubt that the President has not and will never give any order capable of hampering the smooth running of any Media Organization or harass Media practitioners in the lawful performance of their duties.
“This government will neither engage in nor encourage any acts that will constitute an assault on any Media Organization or infringe on the Freedom of the Press.
We have received assurances from the Military that no personal liberties of Media practitioners or their employees will be unlawfully tampered with and that as soon as there is significant reduction in the level of the security alert, the ongoing exercise will be relaxed.
“We live in very trying times which may necessitate that some section or sectors of the society might experience some temporary discomfort in the overall interest of ensuring that the ideals of freedom, peace and security which we all hold dear will not be compromised by a few unscrupulous elements in our midst.”