OSOGBO — GOVERNOR Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State yesterday declared open the first All Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) conference open at Ada, urging the editors to embark on “a re-examination of their functions as well as measures that would make their profession more honourable”.
He stated that the press had made tremendous contributions to the emergence of a sound and virile polity, “and I hold the view that going by the past struggles of the Nigerian media, no individual or group can lay claim to being more patriotic than the press.”
Recalling the role played by the press before and after the independence era, Governor Oyinlola noted that “your exploits clearly mark you out as patriots who surely have a place when the history of Nigeria comes to be written.”
Despite the laudable role of the press, he said the press cannot be exonerated from the blames associated with forces against the nation’s progress. He urged the Editors to re-examine their role in shaping a new social order, and called for “continuous training and re-training of journalists as a way of enhancing performance and productivity in the industry.”
Conference Chairman and the Executive Chairman of Daar Communications Limited, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi said the media represented the society’s conscience.
According to him, “the media must be an agent of mobilisation for public good. Mass media should be a formidable agent of diffusion for rapid development. The mass media should serve as a unifying rather than a divisive force.
He stated that in the nation’s current state of development, the media should assume the role of “agenda setters for public good and a dependable advocate for orderly development as well as a catalyst for good social order and public accountability”.
He said the media should not shy away from its responsibilities, he added “section 39(1) of the Nigeria constitution amply provides a basis for a credible, responsible and relevant mass media practice in Nigeria”.
NGE President, Halilu Baba Dantiye said the conference was imperative to enable editors brainstorm about professionalism and ethics in the media industry. He said although the editors were not without their shortcomings, “the picture being painted by some people, giving the impression that we are enemies of the state is callous, blasphemous and treasonable.
“If in championing the struggle for independence or the struggle to dislodge military rule and enthrone democracy or the struggle to ensure good governance, transparency and accountability, we as editors are called names, then it is unfortunate and uncalled for”.
He said the Editors would continue to promote and support policies and programmes that will “better the lives of the ordinary man in whatever part of the country he or she may be, regardless of religion, ethnic background or geographical location”.
In his remarks, president of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Prince Smart Adeyemi lamented the plight of journalists who he said were treated with disregard by media owners.
He called for decent remuneration of journalists, saying “ a situation in which Journalists are owed months of salaries and in other cases not paid does not augur well for the profession as well as the quest for truth and justice.”
