Benue State governor, Hyacinth Alia, has called on the Nigerian media to hold public officers and the society at large accountable in order to achieve good governance.
The governor stated this at the weekend during the presentation of an award of excellence to him and some journalists who had made positive impacts through their investigative reportage in commemoration of the Nigerian Union of Journalists’ Press Freedom and Good Governance Day held in Abuja.
According to the governor, journalists make selfless sacrifices to make the society a better place hence, should be celebrated and given all the needed support to succeed.
He said, “A journalist has a life that cannot be easily understood. If you’re not transparent; if you’re not responsible; if you are not up to defending the masses and human rights, you can never be a friend of a journalist because they will expose you.
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“A journalist is a student of a critical school not only of criticism but ensuring that what the society must have, should have. And everyone is a member of the society.
“What you do to us tonight, is way beyond tonight. I am emotionally indebted to what this organisation is elated to do because when you work, having known that you’re doing it not to be recognized.
“You are doing it because it is a duty call. You are doing it because it is a divine obligation for you to do just what you are doing. And then someone watching from somewhere sees it, records it, acknowledges it, it is something of huge magnitude.
“I’ll never stop saying this. We all have a role to play in democracy and democracy must be fought for, democracy must be defended. I remain indebted to this organization and to all people of goodwill out there who are defending democracy.”
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safeguarding press freedom, promoting diverse opinions, and protecting the rights of journalists.
According to him, in the face of an environmental crisis, journalists emerge as guardians of truth and champions of accountability.
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