By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro
PROFESSOR of Communications, Ralph Akinfeleye, yesterday, charged government, at all levels, not to take the media industry for granted in the quest for sustainable national development of the country.
This came as the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Mr Chris Isiguzo, urged media practitioners to remain the builders and not wreckers in the present economic, political and social challenges the country is grappling with.
They spoke at the third Edition of the annual milestone recognition of media icons in Nigeria, themed ‘Media Legends: Inspiring Generations, with Aremo Olusegun Osoba, represented by Segun Aderinye as Father of the Day, held at Ikeja, Lagos.
The event was also attended by President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, NGE, Mr Eze Anaba, among other media dignitaries.
Akinfeleye, who was chairman of the occasion, said: “Under Chapter Two of Nigeria Constitution and Section 22 you have the journalistic obligation which empowers you to monitor my government and make them accountable to the people.
“So, it’s a unique, iconic obligation for the journalist how do we go about beyond inverted pyramid, substructure? It then means that we should serve not only as agenda setters or gatekeepers but we must bark and necessarily be able to bite when we are supposed to bite.
“But which way for Nigerian journalists as we go into this system, my idea is that we should continue to do what practice, journalism of conscience, journalism of peace, journalism of development, journalism that we serve and give highly worthy signals to the contemporary issues going on in this country, like cases of kidnapping, banditry, cyber, crime and many more.
“We should play the role of mediator. We should be able to call the government to action. We should also support the move to create an enabling environment by trying to elevate this national security problem.
“Therefore, I challenge our policymakers, our governors and President and the like to help us in the thing about the inspiration of the state police, without prejudice to the national police, they are not going to wipe them away. They will work together. That is how it’s done in other democracies, and ours cannot be the same, except we are practising adulterated democracy.
“In doing so, we must understand the role of the press as a matter of fact, the other name for democracy is a free press. President, please don’t take the press for granted. It is very difficult to take the press for granted. We are partners in progress.
“Please don’t leave the press alone. They will assist you to get sustainable development. Sometimes they will worry you. Yes, that’s part of the training with the newsroom, but you can understand them.”
You will need them more than they need you, in many cases. They can assist you to stop the excesses of the so-called social media, which in many times has turned to social disaster in our system.”
Also speaking, the NUJ president said: “The media has always been the heartbeat of democracy, the voice that ensures accountability and transparency in governance.
“We are the watchdogs of the public interests, holding power to account while ensuring that the people’s voices are not drowned in the noise of politics and partisanship.”
