Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says journalists must never glamorize criminals who intend to undermine the sovereignty and unity of the country, saying such persons must be reported as enemies of the nation.
Playing host to the National Executive Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by its Chairman, Mallam Mohammed Garba at the Government House on Friday, Oshiomhole also urged journalists to serve as a watchdog and insist that votes must count in the 2015 General elections.
He said: “I am happy that the NUJ has maintained the tradition of accountability. As the 2015 elections are approaching, it is my belief that it is the responsibility of the NUJ to make it loud and clear that the votes must count. If they don’t count then democracy is worse than civilian dictatorship.
“The NUJ must ensure that democracy is seen for what it is as it is, not just a means to an end but also an end in itself. It is not enough for us to build roads but the right to appropriate resources to build the roads is also important.
“We must insist as journalists that the language of politics reported in the media is civil. We must recognize the line of difference between an enemy and an opponent. That the language is not to kill but to defeat and that the tool is to win and not to capture.
“Unfortunately in our political environment politicians make promises and once elections are over, you would never return back to recall the promises and to see to what has not been done and to explain why it has not be done. So I believe that unions represent the best interest of democracy. You must continue to maintain that leadership role”, he said.
“For me, neither journalists nor politicians or trade unionists can be in business without Nigeria as a country as such if anyone is doing anything that is designed and intended to undermine the territorial integrity of this great nation and to weaken our victories of unity, you who have expended so much energy historically in building bridges even when politicians destroyed these bridges, you cannot be neutral. You have to be on the side of one indivisible Nigeria”, he said.
Oshiomhole said “I am not repentant when I say that Nigeria has come to stay but we must work to uphold its honour and dignity indentified in our national coat of arms. When I read headlines about the irritations in the system and so much the challenges that we face and some people reduce them to religious issues, I get very worried.
“When we report criminals, we should report them as criminals. Because if we do not, we tend to put brother against brother and help those whose agenda is to weaken the foundation of our national unity to achieve it”, there has to be a commitment to nation building, he said.”
Earlier Chairman of the NUJ, Comrade Mohammed Garba said they were in the state for the NEC meeting of the union and to use the opportunity to take stock of what the NUJ has achieved so far and the challenges for the 2015.
According to the NUJ national chairman, “we commend you as we observed that in your cabinet we have quite a number of our colleagues, serving with you which we can identify. You are the only governor who has recognised that the media has a role to play towards the development of the society”.
He commended the governor for his developmental strides in the state and sued for its sustenance, adding “coming to Benin now we have seen quite a number of changes and initiatives of the governor”.
