By Ogechi Okorie
Abuja (Precise Post) – The 17th All Nigerian Editors Conference has called on government to support the survival of the media as part of the task of building the nation’s democracy and avoid any acts that will put the media in chains.
This was one of the resolutions reached at the end of the conference put together by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), and held between Thursday, October 21 and Friday, October 22, 2021, in Abuja. The theme of the conference was “Media In Times of Crises: Resolving Conflict, Achieving Consensus.”
According to the communique signed by the NGE’s President, Mustapha Isah and the General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, the conference was attended by 350 editors, security chiefs, and other stakeholders.
It noted that journalists are often times impaired and harassed by security agents from carrying out their professional responsibilities, the conference said that peace and development, which are germane to further advancement of Nigeria cannot thrive in times of crises.
‘’The conference called for an end to raging insecurity so that citizens can conduct their normal lives in an atmosphere of peace and concord. That there’s need for healthy and harmonious collaboration between the media and the security agencies in the fight against insecurity.
‘’There is a need for security agents to appreciate the role of Journalists and media professionals and refrain from anything that will abridge it.’’
The conference also advised editors and other media professionals to ensure that they are conflict-sensitive and ensure they do not publish stories that are capable of inflaming ethnic, regional and religious passion. While calling for urgent need to tackle the monster of misinformation and sanitize the media against unprofessional and unethical behaviour.
While calling on the federal government to confront issues that have given rise to the demands of the different self-determination groups, the conference advised it to endeavour to deal with the different sections of the country on the basis of fairness, equity and justice.
‘’There is need for government to ensure that its policies and actions are sensitive to the multi ethnic and religious makeup of the country.
‘’Government needs to commit more resources to education, healthcare and tackle the rising costs of food and other social services’’, the conference stated.
The conference was chaired by a veteran journalist, Ray Ekpu, with Group Managing Director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Malam Mele Kolo Kyari, as Special Guest of Honour, and President, Newspapers Proprietors of Nigeria (NPAN), Malam Kabiru Yusuf, as Guest of Honour.
The conference also featured other guests, including, Yahaya Bello, Governor of Kogi State; Nasir El Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State (represented by the Special Adviser on Inter Governmental Affairs, Hajia Hannatu Dalhat); and Adegboyega Oyetola, Governor of State of Osun (Represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Prince Abdullah Adeyanju Binuyo)
Other guests included Inspector General of Police, Mr Usman Alkali Baba (represented by Commissioner Frank Mba, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO); Director General, Department of Security Service (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi (Represented by its Spokesperson, Dr Peter Afunanya), and Director General, Nigerian Intelligence Agency, (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar (Represented by Mr Emma Engon Anzaku, Director, NIA).
The Managing Director/CEO, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System For Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), Mr Aliyu A. Abdulhameed, and the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Garba Danbatta; Dapo Olorunyomi, Publisher, Premium Times, and Azu Ishiekwene, Editor-in-Chief, Leadership Newspapers Group, were also parts of the conversation.
Other highlight of the conference was the unveiling of the book chronicling 60 years of the Nigerian Guild of Editors titled, “Uneven Steps: The Story Of The Nigerian Guild of Editors” authored by Mr Lanre Idowu. The book was reviewed by James Akpandem James.
The two-day conference was rounded up with a 60th Anniversary Dinner, which featured the induction of eight new Fellows and 13 new members.
