Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has called on editors to use the media for the promotion of peace, stability and unity in the country.
Similarly, he charged the editors to change public viewpoints and sentiment toward a more peaceful resolution of the nation’s current crises.
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Ganduje made the remark on Monday while declaring open the 2021 Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) Biennial Convention, themed “The Media in COVID-19 Era: Challenges and Opportunities in Kano.
“If and only if we as a nation are interested in peace and harmony, we must reject hate propaganda machinery. This is a time editors should be conflict-sensitive about our nation.
“Our powerful editors, this is an opportunity to engage in some introspection about our great country, indeed the most populous black nation on earth. I mean you should lend me your ears for us to talk briefly about the expediency of journalism and nation building at this time. More than ever before, we need to understand these difficult times in our country.”
According to him, crossing the redline by some media organisations in recent times has impacted on the nation’s unity, harmony and integration.
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“Our brave, collective pursuit in uniting this nation underscores the fact that for as long as we have a common purpose, we will find no obstacle big enough to stop us from marching on. The media and particularly our gatekeepers have a role to play in this regard,” he said.
Ganduje while urging the media to look at the social responsibility aspect of their practice for national development, noted that the call for freedom of the press and observance of ethical standard must also be respected.
In his remark, the president of NGE, Mustapha Isa, commended Ganduje for personally attending the event.
He, however, maintained that in spite of the trend of fake news threatening society, the members of the NGE were not involved in it.
He noted that the Covid-19 pandemic had affected media practice negatively adding that this informed the theme of the convention.
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Among the dignitaries that graced the event were, the former governor of Ogun State, Chief Aremu Olusegun Osoba; Senior Special Assistant to the President of Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu and Prof. Umar Pate.
Others are former Presidents of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, former and serving presidents of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, among others.
