Thursday 14 August 2008

DEATH THREAT FROM KANO CENSORS

Religion aside, We respect ur person. We see u as patriotic Nigerian who also has d intrst of d North in his heart, hence ds call to put a stop to d activities of ur editor Sheme. His personal attack d censorship board in Kano is attack on Islamic moral values which d Board is protecting and it is doing a good job of it. We don't want to believe u hv a hand in ds, hence ds call to put a stop to it. We don't know what will happen if u do not, but we do know tht d u're putting d Leadership nwsppr on line as well as ur othr invstmnts. We don't know wht indvdl members of d Coalition will do, but I do know tht we've been restraining thm with effort. And these youth are very restive. A stitch in time...

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MY COMMENT: My boss, Mr Sam Nda-Isaiah, the Chairman/Editor-in-Chief of Leadership newspaper, Abuja, which I edit, received this threat today. Later, I got a similar threat. Such threats were received by me since last Friday. One was also sent to Mr Nda-Isaiah before his present trip abroad. Apparently, someone is not happy with the paper's coverage of the activities of the Kano State Censorship Board, headed by Malam Abubakar Rabo Abdulkarim. Whoever it is thinks that the best way to stop or influence the coverage is to issue an anonymous death threat, waving the religion card. Honestly, I never realised that the coverage was having such a big impact on some fellow(s) as to attract such a commentary. I also do not believe that apart from keeping the issues of censorship in the news the coverage was unfair. For example, we always made efforts to get the two sides of the story at any time. Mal Rabo was interviewed, at my behest, by all the media in which I have interest. His actions and utterences were always reported very well. We may have disagreed with some aspects of his methods, but not the idea of sanitising society. So why all the fuss? A friend has asked me the question today: "Don't you think Rabo was the one behind the text message?" I do not know how to answer the question very well except to say: But who gives life? Allah. Who takes it? Allah.

7 comments:

Obiwu said...

Ibrahim Sheme:

I write to offer my solidarity and writerly brotherhood in these dark times. Is it not ironic that it is at the point in Nigerian politics when those of us outside the country are beginning to imagine a better future under a considerate leadership, that the stone age angels would rear up from their caves.

Those who would keep Nigeria in perpetual regression are not sleeping, neither should we. They will always hide in their caves, but we will keep guard at the gates of light. We will not regress into eternal darkness with them. The future is ours, and even their children will bear the torch from which they presently shrink.

Fear not; and be brave. As Achebe says, it is morning yet on creation day.

Yours in pen & light.

Obiwu

Anonymous said...

hi mr sheme
why not mention the names or the institution from which u recieved the said threat?
are u afraid
im afraid it is romours sir

Anonymous said...

Malam Ibrahim,

Kai wannan abin damuwa ne kwarai da gaske. Ka yi hakuri. Allah ya kiyaye. Allah ya kawo mana adalci.... Amin...

Talatu D.

Anonymous said...

Assalamu alkm
Malam Sheme threat or no threat those who know u surely know that u'll never be happy with the good work that malam Rabo is doing. Reading ur pornograpic 'Yartsana 'll leave no one in doubt about this. The alleged threat may not materialise but if u go on engaging in, and supporting, vulgar writings the ultimate threat is inexorable. Long time after reading that book of yours, i still imagine whether when ur daughter marries u 'll like her to recommned the book for her children. Like it or not, one day u'll be remembered by it. What a sour and disgusting bequest for one's posterity!

jinni said...

People like mallam rabo and his cohorts are the ones who need to be sensored.who doesnt know they are the ones chasing after small girls and film stars.enough of the double standards,lies and farce.
more power to ur pen,sheme

Anonymous said...

for the 1st time i'm seeing a post written in Hausa, this is nice....

Ibrahim Sadiq, CC,ALB said...

Salam,
The censorship board needs a total overhaul, the people working there needs to be censored first before anyone else can. please contribute to my public blog dailynaija.blogspot.com