Ahead of the 2027 General elections in Nigeria, president Bola Tinubu has called on media practitioners to exhibit patriotic journalism practice that will promote national unity,cohesion and all round development of the nation.
The president made this call in Abuja while declaring open a two day national conference of the Nigerian Guild of editors with the Theme: Democratic governance and National Cohesion: Role of Editors.
The Nigeria first citizen who becomes the first sitting president to attend the Guild of editors annual conference described the event as timely to reflect on the state of Nigerian democracy and the way public discourse can either strengthen or weaken the bones that holds Nigeria together.He added that it is also timely as government continues to build institutions that are resilient,transparent and trusted by the Nigeria citizens.
The president recalled how the media dealt with him on assumption of office over certain critical but important decisions of government which are yielding positive results today.”If I look back at the time I first assumed office and the way you all dealt with me over subsidy removal,the floating of exchange rate,removing the corruption in the society and the opportunity blocked against economic saboteurs, we should celebrate today that the dark tunnel and the headwind against the economy is getting better”
He reminds the editors and other media information managers that democracy is not sustained alone by elections but the integrity of public conversation “As managers and Editors of information national space,you shape narratives,you influence public understanding,you decide what becomes national focus and how our public challenges are interpreted.The wage of that responsibility is significantly Important and must be expressed with fairness,wisdom and a high sense of national duty”.
The president commended the media practitioners for their roles in nation building and the struggles they have fought to keep Nigeria united dating from the days of fight for independence and what he described as the dark days of military dictatorship in Nigeria.
The Nigeria chief executive noted that constructive criticism is a service to the nation while adding that criticism that breeds mistrust and despair can weaken the foundation upon which Nigeria is built.Social media he said increases speed of getting information but it has also scaled up the rate of misinformation and falsehood. He urged the Editors to embrace verification as anchor,balance as principle and professional judgement as their guide.
President Tinubu ends his remarks philosophically “Report boldly but do so truthfully,criticise government policy but do so with knowledge and fairness.Your aim must never be to tear down what we are building together but to make it a better society” He went further “Remember that the stories we tell ourselves as a people and as a nation influence what the country will become. The image the media project about Nigeria will influence how the outside world assess us”
The president admits that while it is true that Nigeria is challenged by kidnapping and banditry government has been unrelenting in efforts to get rid of these bad elements and putting institutions in place to make a difference.
In the words of president Tinubu “Let us choose clarity over confusion,responsibility over Recklessness and Hope over despair.Let us remember that national building requires cooperation,requires trust and understanding that our future is tied together with government having a role to play,defence has it’s role to play,civil society has it’s role to play while the media as the last man standing has it’s own unique role to play in building a prosperous and safe country.
By Tunde olaore.
